Oh So Strange
by demonicpet1
Summary: What happens when Elena's runaway half-sister gets dragged into the supernatural mess of Mystic Falls? Willow is no ordinary creature herself and when faced with Damon, Elijah, and eventually Klaus she is thrown into a whirlwind of emotions and decisions. Will she lose herself in the drama of Mystic Falls? Damon,Elijah,Klaus/Oc. First story. Review and give your opinions.
1. Chapter 1

**Well** **hello loves. I edited this beautiful story for you all. Why? Well Willow was kind of a background character and I felt that I lost my flow and tone in the story so I edited it and made sure I kind of kept the same tone. Read and Review or I may not upload anymore chapters. No hate. Only supportive and crucial advice for the story. Please and thank you loves. Disclaimer: All TVD characters belong to CW or whatever. Willow, Koda, and Moose belong to me. Enjoy.**

I gave a groan of protest as I woke up to the sound of someone walking through a house with marble floors. It gave me a pounding headache and so I rolled over into the cushion, clinging to sleep. Wait a second. Cushion and floors? This is not my den. Where's my pack? Why wasn't I in the forest? All these questions ran through my mind as I sat up quickly with a racing heart. My head twisted and turned, taking in my surroundings. I was in an old worn down house that was once an elegant treasure. The dusty walls once painted a creamy off-white color. The sound of doors opening and closing reached my sensitive ears. Someone was here. I took a deep, calming breath. No need to panic right? I glanced down at myself, thanking the heavens above that I was clothed. There was a coat of dirt and grass stains gracing my clothes. I don't recall digging my clothes out of my den and getting dressed.

"Help please" an eerily familiar voice breathed out as the footsteps grew louder. Whoever was here with me was probably in the next room over. Why did that voice strike me with the feeling of annoyance.

"What do you want?" the voice questioned weakly. Obviously the people who brought me here weren't the good guys. I could only pray that whoever it was wasn't some kind of serial killer. I sniffed the air for any familiar scents, but I couldn't get past the smell of the rotting structure of the house. However, their was a hint of metallic blood mixing into the smell.

"Shhhhh." a male's voice shushed. Creepy.

"Please, I'm hurt." Whelp that explains the bloody smell.

"I know, just one taste." he assured and I felt myself shiver at the hidden threat behind his words. The girl screamed softly and I could hear her heart beat faster. What the hell is going on? This seriously seems like some horror movie crap.

"Trevor! Control yourself." a very stern woman chastised. I got up slowly from the couch to find out exactly what was going on as I tip-toed softly and soundlessly across the marble floors. Being barefoot all the time was actually a good thing in this situation. It helped a lot. As I moved closer I could hear more of what was going on in the other room. I stopped just outside the closed wooden door and eavesdropped on the other occupants.

"Buzzkill." the guy stated dryly in retaliation for being made a fool. That must've wounded his ego.

"What do you want with me?" the girl questioned and suddenly I could place the voice. It was my half-sister Elena. My brow furrowed in confusion now. Why would anyone kidnap her? She was Miss Goody Good after all. And she was the bane of my existence.

"My god you look just like her." the woman said while ignoring my sister's question. Were they talking about me? I couldn't wrap my head around any bad blood, bad enough to get me kidnapped.

"But I'm not. Please whatever.." my sister started in a pleading voice.

"Be quiet."

"But I'm not Katherine. My name is Elena Gilbert. You don't have to do this." my sister finished completely disregarding the woman's stern tone. Katherine? Why does that name bring my ancestor Katerina Petrova to mind? According to my mother I was the spitting image of her except for the differences caused by her genes.

"I know who you are. I said be quiet."

"What do you want?" Elena questioned before the sound of someone being slapped and a thud reached my ears. I gently pushed the door, opening it to see exactly what happened only it creaked like most old doors do. Which caused a pixie haired brunette to look my way. Her leaf green gaze ran over me as I stepped out from my hiding place and walked into the room. I paused in my steps glancing over to Elena who had been thrown back onto the couch behind her. The couch was a dark crimson color with baize designs running over it. I saw the blood stain on Elena's shoulder. No human could have done that with just a slap. Whatever these people were was strong. Pixie turned her glare back on my sister after she realized I was going to keep my mouth shut.

"I want you to be quiet." she spat in a harsh yet beautiful voice, sounding similar to a fussy toddler wanting a toy. Elena was knocked unconscious from the blow she took. Rose walked away, leaving me and Elena alone. I walked over to the couch to get a better look at my sister. She didn't look dead. I heaved a sigh of relief. I might despise her very existence but I couldn't have her dying on my watch. Figuring there was nothing better to do I relaxed back into the couch with my knees pressed against my chest as I rested my head and arms on them. I drifted off after a little while. I had no clue what they were but I had an feeling that they might be vampires. All I could do for now is wait. I mean really I was only kidnapped by some supernatural occurrence. What seemed like just a few minutes ended up being a couple hours as someone shook me awake. When I opened my abnormal eyes, I came face to face with my twin. We weren't identical, because we came from different mothers as far as I knew. Plus she was a year older. The only true difference in our appearance was our eyes and height. Her eyes were a warm brown while mine were similar to a rainbow. I tended to dye my hair black to keep us from looking alike. Sadly, it had begun to fade out from my months in the forest.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly, keeping my voice down. She smiled sadly and nodded. This was the first time I had seen her in months considering I ran away after our father's death. There was no way I would stay with Aunt Jenna or Uncle John. It's not like I could go home to my mother either since she had died shortly before the accident with Elena. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me in for a sisterly embrace. I groaned in irritation and pushed her back. Did she not get the signs? I didn't like being touched or being around her.

"Don't worry Stefan and Damon will save us. I promise." she assured as I arched a brow at her in confusion. Realization hit her and she remembered that I didn't have a clue who she was talking about. I must've missed a lot during my absence. "C'mon." She took my hand in hers and pulled my reluctant self up from the couch.

"Um, I don't think Pixie-Dust wants us snooping around." I warned cautiously when she tried to tug me after her. She was a good 5'6" while I on the other hand was 5'3" which was infuriating, I hated being the short one. I grumbled and let her pull me through the old house in search of our captors. We made our way through a hall that was lit by bulbs on wire and wrapped around the structure of a chandelier. I almost walked into Elena's back as she stopped. I peeked around her to see the brunette beauty in an old library. Pixie stood across the room at a table littered with books.

"Why are we here?" Elena inquired with annoyance lacing every word. Obviously she had missed the point of being slapped in the face earlier.

"You keep asking me questions like I'm going to answer them." the suspected vampire replied as she walked across the room towards a boarded window. It seemed as if boards weren't the only things being used to block the rays of sunlight. I made out the shape of a canvas over one of the many windows. The poor house's beauty was being ruined.

"Why won't you?" Elena countered as I stood there awkwardly bouncing on the balls of my feet. I chewed my inner cheek, glancing over at Pixie-Vamp.

"That's another one." She stated as she picked up another board for the window.

"You got us, okay it's not like we can go anywhere. The least you could do is tell me what you want from us." Elena ranted with purpose. I wanted to know why I was dragged into this mess, although I knew it had something to do with whatever Elena had been up to during my absence.

"I personally want nothing. I'm just a delivery service." the woman answered as Elena took a step into the room. I stayed in my spot placing my hand against the wall when a wave of light headedness came over me. My breath escaped me, but I sucked in a deep breath to calm myself. I hadn't fed in days. That must be catching up to me now.

"A delivery to who? Elijah?" Elena questioned, making me confused. I looked over to Elena in suspicion, apparently she was snooping while I was asleep. I can't believe that she really left me alone with that Trevor guy around the house.

"Two points to the eavesdropper." she chuckled dryly as she moved old, worn books around on the tables in the room. My suspicions have been confirmed, thank you Pixie. Elena walked further into the room while I stayed glued in place. I was tense around these vampires or whatever they were. The animalistic side of me wanted to run. I was out numbered if I tried to take them on and Elena was just a burden.

"Who is he? Is he a vampire" Elena questioned as she walked closer to the other brunette. Well that answers my questions about what they are. My eyes narrowed, glaring at my sister from behind. She knew about the vampires. It was definitely her fault I was here. My jaw clenched as I resisted the urge to just ditch her.

"He's one of the vampires. The Originals." she answered while moving some other book.

"What do you mean the Originals?" Elena pressed for information.

"Again with the questions. Haven't the Salvatores been teaching you vampire history?" the vampire inquired sarcastically while flipping through the pages of a book. My hatred for Elena grew with each word. Not only did she know of vampires but she was friends or lovers with them. I sighed in frustration at my sister's stupidity.

"So you know Stefan and Damon?"

"I know of them. A hundred years back a friend of mine tried to set me up with Stefan. She said he was one of the good ones. More of a sucker for the bad boys though. But I digress." the vampire answered. Elena was most definitely fooling around with fire. Did she not know how dangerous these creatures were? I was pretty bad ass, but vampires had to be a lot worst. I scowled at my sister. I made my way into the room and settled myself against the wall as I took a seat.

"Who are the Originals?" Elena pressed and I looked up as the pixie vampire turned to face Elena. I had to admit the chick was attractive in her brown leather jacket and tight flare jeans. I think I forgot to mention that I swing both ways. I tuned in when she looked like she was about to say something remotely important.

"Trevor and I have been running for over five hundred years. We're tired. We want it over. We're using you to negotiate ourselves out of an old mess." she answered simply as she watched Elena and then her light green eyes darted over to me. I fidgeted under her gaze but luckily Elena caught her attention once more.

"But why us?" Elena asked in confusion. Jeez, my sister could really kill you with her interrogations. I picked at my clothing which was pretty muddy and torn considering I lived in the woods and slept in a den. When that bored me I turned my attention to drawing shapes in the coat of dust that layered the floor.

"Because you two are Petrova doppelgangers. You're the key to breaking the curse." my head snapped up at the sound of my last name and the word curse. Oh I had a curse alright. Its name was Elena Gilbert. My brows furrowed when I glanced up at her. She had always ruined any happiness I had in life. Now I was dragged into some wacko vampire shit and it was all thanks to her.

"Curse? The Sun and Moon curse." Elena wondered out loud and really I was truly questioning what the hell my sister had gotten us dragged into. She obviously knew a whole lot more about what was going on. I mentally cursed her very existence.

"Oh, so you do know your history." Pixie vamp returned as she rolled her eyes at Elena. I was still just sitting there, worn out from all the stress I was put under.

"What do you mean we're the key?" Again with the questions dear sister this is just making me more confused and frustrated. Rawr! I growled in annoyance feeling quite useless and out of the circle right now. Running away could do that to you. I probably deserved it after causing more pain to Aunt Jenna and Jeremy. They had enough on their plate without me running away.

My ears picked up on the sound of familiar barks and pants somewhere close outside the house. It was Koda and Moose. I missed my two best buds. They had been with me ever since I lost my mother and my brothers. They got me through my initial shock at being a druid. I had learned barely anything about myself as a druid. All I knew was that it was much greater than being a witch. We as druids were better interlaced with nature. I could become many animals if I wanted but I focused on my soul bonded forms. Those forms consisted of an ebony wolf and panther. From what I was told it was a special lineage passed down from my mother. I huffed in my bored confusion and lay my head on my knees. I was drawn back into the on going conversation shortly after doing so.

"No, the moonstone is what binds the curse. Sacrifice is what breaks the curse." said the pixie vampire explained. Obviously I had tuned out some of their conversation. As a result I was kind of lost, but that was nothing new.

"Sacrifice?" Elena questioned, looking as puzzled as I was. My head perked up from its relaxed position on my knees. Who's being sacrificed? It better not be me, because at no point did I sign up for this. Elena maybe, but not me. I wanted no part in any of this vampire mumbo jumbo.

"The blood of the doppelganger. You two are the doppelgangers. Which means in order to break the curse you' two have to die. Obviously both of you are required considering one has more of the doppelganger blood than the other." Pixie answered with a slight attitude in her voice. Really she sounded like she had all the answers. I wonder if her name is Google. However she seemed a tad bit reluctant with giving any answers. I was reluctant to dying for breaking some curse.

"Elena, could we not continue this conversation right now? My head hurts from all this crap you two are talking about." I complained as they stood there staring each other down for a moment. Elena was taking in all of the information and pixie was staring her down. The guy vampire, Trevor, strolled back into the room and I glared at him. He better not try to attack me like he had Elena. If he did I would have to kick his vampire ass.

Elena ignoring my request for a break told the vampire chick to tell her more. Grrr. Why does everyone ignore me?

"Captivity's made her pushy, eh? What do you want to know doppelicious?" Trevor taunted placing his hands on his hips. In my opinion he was far too cocky. It didn't matter if he was even the slightest bit attractive. I wanted to punch him in the face.

"Who are you running from?" Elena asked as Trevor finished placing yet another chunk of wood over a window with light streaming through it. He turned and walked towards her with the answer.

"The Originals."

"Yea, she said that but what does that mean?" Elena pressed. Obviously the Originals were powerful and that interested me. I kind of wonder if they are attractive like the vampires standing in this room or if the look like the ugly old Underworld vampires. However, finding out the answer was potentially deadly.

"The first family." he answered as he kicked some of the books lying on the floor. "The Old World. Rose and I pissed them off."

"Nah hmm" Rose hummed in disagreement. Well Pixie had a real name now.

"Correction, I pissed them off. Rose had my back and for over half a millennium they've wanted us dead." he corrected himself as he walked around before picking up a book and tossing it on the floor near Elena's feet. Elena flinched back away from the book. Wow, that was a long time to be running from someone. His story made it very obvious how persistent these Original people could be.

"What did you do?" Elena inquired while glancing down at the book for moment. Her head turned towards Rose when Rose answered.

"He made the same mistake countless others did." Rose replied, her tone was judgy and bitter. I lay my head on my arms after I propped them up on my knees. A yawn parted my lips. Man was I tired. My head was hurting from trying to process all of the situation. Not only that but I was feeling weak from my lack of food. I closed my eyes, praying that nothing extreme would happen while I rested my eyes for a few moments. All I needed was a moment or two. I must of dozed off completely because when I awoke for the third time that day I was back on the couch curled up into the arm. How I got there I don't recall, but Elena was sitting on the other side of the couch. My ears picked up on the sound of crackling paper when she moved her hand. I must've missed the rest of the story. Rose was picking up a bag to leave after this so called delivery was done and over with. I could only hope that Elena's friends got here in time. Rose placed the duffle bag in an elegant chair as Trevor came rushing into the room. He looked frightened out of his wits. I bit my lip watching him cautiously.

"He's here. This was a mistake."

"No I told you I would get us out of this. You have to trust me."

"No, he wants me dead Rose!" Trevor argued back in panic. His aura was glowing yellow with fear. I actually felt pity for him, but he did indeed drag all of us into this mess, including his best friend. He deserved whatever he was expecting from the Elijah guy.

"But he wants them more." Rose countered, making a good point. She was confident that this deal would save their lives. She was sure that the lives of the doppelgangers were worth much more than Trevor's misdoings.

"I can't do this. You give them to him. He'll have mercy on you, but I need to get out of here." Trevor sputtered out as Rose grabbed him. She caught his gaze with her green one.

"Hey, what are we?" she questioned. I watched as her aura reached out towards his in a soothing embrace. Wow, their bond was close.

"We're family. Forever." at this I felt an envy for their closeness. It reminded me of my pack, the only friends I had now. The thought of my failed relationships with Elena and her side of the family came to mind too. I could probably work something out with Aunt Jenna and Jeremy after all of this. Maybe I could pay them a visit to let them know that I was fine. Hopefully they would call off the search for me if I did that. A loud knock echoed off the wooden surface of the front door effectively making me jump in shock. Oh, how I hate loud noises.

"You're scared." Elena observed as she leaned forward on the couch. I couldn't tell if that gave her a feeling of confidence or if that added to her inner fear. A keening whine pierced my ears. My pack was scared, no terrified of whatever was here. I tensed on high alert. My instincts were fighting to take over. They screamed at me to just run away as fast as I could. Elena glanced over me and I gave a small nervous smile. She didn't need to know that whoever was here was definitely not one to be messed with. Their mere presence was causing a shift inside me. My fangs protruded out into my mouth only adding to my frustration.

"Stay here with them and don't make a sound." Rose instructed before leaving the room at a hurried pace. Trevor fidgeted nervously as he glanced over at Elena and I. We waited silently as I heard the front door creep open. They were talking but I couldn't focus on that. My main goal was to stay in control and at the moment that required all of my will power.

My heart was racing as I moved over next to Elena. My hands kneading anxiously at the hem of my shirt. I could feel the urge to shift flowing through my veins like a wildfire. Its intensity grew while they moved closer to this room. Their footsteps were close and Elena stood up preparing to face him. Pacing back and forth worriedly she waited. A threatening growl rumbled in my chest as they approached the entrance to the room. I took the time I had left and swiftly jumped behind the couch, sliding down until I could no longer be seen. I had to calm myself and yet I was shifting. I couldn't let Elena see my like that. Not yet. I breathed out before moving until I could see around the couch. Rose entered first and a very handsome older guy walked in behind her in a black suit. He was looking sophisticated and sexy in that suit with his almond brown bangs pushed to one side. He stood there before suddenly he was in front of Elena. I blinked in confusion and actually stood up, prepared to attack him if he dared hurt her.

He looked Elena over closely as she flinched back while staring him down cautiously. Elena's heart raced in her chest. I felt the fear rolling off her in waves. He slowly leaned into my sister, taking in her scent as she shivered in fear. When he pulled away his eyes flickered over to me.

"Human, it's impossible." he stated in astonishment while all of us in the room gulped and fidgeted uncomfortably. Trevor and Rose looking over to this Elijah in anticipation. "Hello there." Oh his voice was so dreamy and old English too. I bit my lip to hold back a smile. Who ever thought someone so beautiful would be the death of me? My thoughts went to places better left unmentioned as I practically eye-raped this so called Original. The purr of a car driving up brought me out of my inner musings and I figured that whoever it was could either be our saviors or back up for this evil sexy beast, standing before me. Wait, when did he get there. I looked down, inching back from the sudden closeness. He reached out his hand, pushing back a lock of my faded hair. His fingers were gentle as they trailed along my clenched jaw. "You too. How curious." His fingers gripped my chin and I closed my eyes when he forced my head up for his viewing. "Open your eyes." he said gently in that oh so attractive accent, but it was commanding. Oh how I could listen to him talk all day long.

My eyes flutter open giving me a closer look at his features. He had a strong jaw, warm brown eyes, and the cutest chin. I moved my gaze back to his when I sensed a confusion in his aura. He must have noticed the differences between Elena and I.

"It'd be nice if you'd let go of my face." I growled in fake irritation. I might have enjoyed his attention if it wasn't in this situation. However, I was feeling terribly uncomfortable under his stern, focused gaze. My attitude must have gotten to him, because he none-too-gently grabbed my arm and tugged me along side him until Elena and I stood side by side.

"Now we have a long journey ahead of us, we should be going." he stated as if Elena and I would just agree. Of course Elena just had to start the water works in her eyes and she looked to Rose and Trevor for help.

"Please just don't let him take me." she pleaded as I reached for her hand and held it comfortingly. This moment would be the closet Elena and I have ever been. Really I only did it so she would calm down.

"One last piece of business. Then we're done." Elijah said as he started to walk back and turn to face Trevor. I looked over at Trevor in confusion. Maybe he was going to let them go. However, I highly doubted that possibility.

"I've waited so long for this day Elijah. Truly very sorry" Trevor's voice was slightly emotional as he looked at Elijah. Trevor was tense and I could feel his fear. Elijah began to walk behind Trevor, circling him like prey. I could tell that this was not going to be a happy ending.

"Oh your apology's not necessary." Elijah said nonchalantly. I contemplated escape routes for Elena and I, but each one seemed impossible. Elijah's speed was incredible and with Elena there was no chance of out running him.

"Yes. Yes, it is. You trusted me with Katerina and I failed you." Trevor confessed with Elijah pacing beside him. It resembled the moment just before a predator strikes. It held that tensed killing intent that wanted to be set free.

"I guess you are the guilty one. Rose aided you because she's loyalty and that I honor. Where was your loyalty?" Elijah questioned Trevor as all of us stared at Elijah in complete silence. I tugged Elena's hand gently in the direction of an exit. Trevor begged the Original for forgiveness.

"So granted." were the words that made me and Elena stop and stare in anticipation. Just then Elijah moved his hand at an invisible speed and suddenly Trevor's head was rolling on the marble floor. Rose gasped and bent over in shock as she stared with wide eyes. Elena covered her mouth as she watched the scene unfold. I felt kind of bad for the guy honestly. Rose started down the small set of stairs in fury and disbelief.

"Don't Rose. Now that you are free." Elijah warned as Rose gripped the railing and cried.

Elena and I inched back as Elijah's attention came back to us. "Come." he commanded and I growled in warning.

"No, what about the moonstone?" Elena stuttered as Elijah approached and both of us backed up. Way to go sister! You distract the evil vampire. He stopped before us and I held my sister slightly behind me, just incase he tried to grab her. He looked at me curiously before turning his gaze back to Elena.

"What do you know about the moonstone?" Elena's lips were parted as she tried to form words to keep him going.

"I know that you need it. And I know where it is." she finally got the words out as a small smile graced his oh so sexy lips. Really, I need to focus on the fact that he's going to kill us, not the fact that he is so attractive. Um, yea back to reality now.

"Yes?" his voice held a questioning tone, asking her to go on.

"I can help you get it." Elena continued as he watched her closely. She gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. His gaze caught mine and I started to feel even more protest.

"Tell me where it is." he countered and I couldn't resist. My lips moved on their own.

"It doesn't work that way." I countered with a confident tone as I stepped fully in front of Elena. The animalistic side of me was defiant as I glared up at him. He looked down at me and must have been contemplating my bold move to challenge him. However, he responded in humor.

"Are you negotiating with me?" he taunted as he crossed his arms and turned to look at Rose.

"It's the first I've heard of it." she ground out with watery eyes as Elena and I watched her in sympathy. He grabbed my arm once more and easily moved me away from Elena. I chewed my inner cheek to keep my temper from flaring. I wanted to punch him. He glanced over her as if searching for something.

"What is this vervain doing around your neck?" he questioned in annoyance when he grabbed Elena's necklace and tore it from her neck. He threw it onto the floor and I noticed how tense she became. What was so bad about her necklace? He grabbed her hair and she gripped his forearm with a gasp of pain. I felt helpless as I stepped back. Rose motioned for me to just let it be. Elijah forced Elena to face him with a tug of her hair and stared into her eyes. I watched in stunned shock as he questioned her about the whereabouts of the moonstone and she answered him. What happened to Plan Negotiation? Just then the sound of glass shattering caught all of our attention.

"What is that?" Elijah questioned Rose.

"I don't know." she answered her voice still cracked from crying.

"Who else is in this house?" he asked and she replied the same. I inched closer to my sister and flinched when Elijah grabbed us both and pulled us along with him. We were dragged into the foyer where a fancy old staircase was placed. Rose followed us in as Elijah's grip tightened on us. Suddenly I felt a presence moving around us quickly. Please not another vampire. I prayed to myself as I closed my eyes. Elijah shoved Elena and I over to Rose. Me of course being the unlucky one, ended up on the floor next to Elena and Rose's feet.

"Ow, you jerk that was so not gentlemanly." I whined as I went to pick myself up before I felt that presence speed around us again.

"Rose?" Elijah questioned as Rose and Elena turned to face him.

"I don't know who it is." she stated in all seriousness. Her face showing fear and confusion as yet again the presence raced around the four of us. Sighing in defeat I just sat on my knees, letting whatever was going to happen, happen.

"Up here." a smooth and slightly attractive voice called from the second floor and I felt myself relax, I could only hope these were the people Elena had spoken of earlier. Elijah did his vampire speed thingy and raced up the stairs.

"Down here." a really sexy taunting voice called and my insides melted on the spot. Whoa, I needed to know whoever the hell just said that. Oh please be the knight in shining armor not the devil, I prayed for the second time that day. Whoa, my mother would be proud. However, I had a feeling this man was indeed a devil. I glanced around in search of the voice as did the rest of the group. Elijah still staring down at us from the stairs. Suddenly a wooden stake was shot through Elijah's left hand and I winced. Oh, that one must've hurt him. I looked down as Elijah angrily went to pull the stake out of his hand. I wasn't even the one with a stake in my hand and I struggled to breathe from the mere idea of one being in my skin. I glanced around when I realized I was alone, other than Elijah on the stairs. Way to go guys, just leave me here with an angry Original. Elijah tossed the stake over the railing on the stairs and looked down at me briefly. His almond eyes were dark with anger.

"Excuse me. To whom it may concern, you're making a great mistake if you think you can beat me. You can't. Do you hear that?" Elijah said while walking around. He continued as he picked up an old coat rack and began to break it apart into a wooden stake. "I repeat, you cannot beat me. So I want both the girls, I'm gonna count to three or heads will roll. Do we understand each other?"

I shook my head as Elena came out of hiding and stood at the center of the staircase. Well at least she didn't completely leave me here with crazy, sexy, killer vampire.

"I'll come with you, just please don't hurt my friends, they just wanted to help us out," Elena said as I watched her suspiciously. She was definitely up to something. Elijah flashed up the stairs with the coat rack stake in his hands. I found the nerve to stand up at the threat he posed to my sister. Elena gasped and stepped back with her arms wrapped around herself.

"What game are you playing with me? " Elijah questioned coldly and I took the opportunity to pick up one of the metal hooks he had broken off from the rack. I chunked it at him, a smirk gracing my lips as Elena watched in shock. I wasn't gonna let her steal all the thunder in the situation.

"Hey you." I called as he turned around and caught the hook. With his back turned to Elena she pulled out some sort of grenade and threw it at him. It exploded in his face as he turned towards her. He cowered into the railing, away from the blast as Elena took cover. A sizzling sound reached my ears as he groaned in pain and released a scream. Elijah started up the stairs toward my sister and I made a run for him. No vampire was gonna lay a hand on my sister. He turned and shoved me down and back onto the first floor. A crack sound echoed through the room when my head made contact with the floor. All air escaped my lungs, leaving me breathless and shocked. My vision blurred, turning red and I could hear a mixture of air pressurized shots. The sound of my pack wailing for me outside the front door broke through my dazed state. Their nails scratched at the old wooden door and they released vicious growls as I started to lose myself. My body released a round of sickening cracks and suddenly I was much furrier and vicious. My clothes tore into rags as I embraced the shift. I took a deep breath before I struggled to get up on all fours as I released an angry growl. The pain in my body numbed as my fury took control. I barked viciously, showing my killing intent. I was human no more, I was all animal as my teeth bared in a feral snarl. I charged at Elijah as he tackled a handsome, dirty-blond haired guy to the first floor. He went to get up and kill the guy. I made to stop him but Elijah once again sent me flying with a swift hit. A yelp escaped my throat. My back slammed into the wall before I landed in a heap of ebony fur on the hard floor. The sexiest dark haired guy I had ever seen in my life was staking the Original. With a charge he staked him near the front door with the very coat rack Elijah had intended to use and I stared in stunned state. I watched as Rose ran off and the blue-eyed stud made to go after her.

"Just let her go." my sister's voice stopped him in his tracks as he stared up at the stairs. He got a hopeful look as Elena rushed down the stairs. However, she wasn't hurrying to him. The blond was up and going to Elena. He was obviously her vampire boyfriend.

"Hey, come here. Are you hurt? Are you okay?" he asked, putting his hands on the sides of her face before they embraced. I saw Elena mouth "Thank you" to the dark haired guy and he mouthed back "You're welcome." He had a pained expression. With a pained snarl I heaved my body up from the floor. I limped towards the door, my black massive paws making a clicking sound against the floors. I needed to get to my pack. They were desperate to get to me and I to them. The dark haired vampire looked down and back at me, noticing me there.

"What the-" he started and took a step at me before I released a threatening growl. Elena and Stefan paused in their reunion as they took in my form. I snapped at the two vampires as they took a few steps in my direction. Each step they took forward I moved a step back. Elena grabbed her lover's arm and stopped him before she went rushing towards my wolf form.

"Willow." she cooed softly as she embraced my neck and buried her face in my dark fur. "Are you okay?"

I gave a soft whine as I sat down on my haunches while her fingers ran through my fur searching for injury. She touched my head and I yelped from the pain. My pack howled outside the house and threw themselves at the door in hopes of getting to me. They knew I was injured. They knew I was probably dying. I could feel the broken ribs with every breath now. I had cracked my shoulder blades and my skull.

"What's going on Elena? Who is she?" the dark haired vampire questioned as his brows furrowed in confusion. I breathed deeply trying to pull in some oxygen as my body started to turn back into a human. Elena quickly shielded my body from view as she looked towards her lover for help. I collapsed against her, my head turned downward against her chest as she held me.

"Stefan, please go get a sheet from one of the rooms." she told him as she looked to the other vampire. "She's my little sister and I don't know either."

"Elena I'm not little." I called her attention to me as Stefan arrived back with a sheet to cover my naked form. Elena looked down at me smiling sadly, wrapping the sheet over my bare skin. "It hurts too much." I whispered weakly. The blood was dripping into my hair, making it a nasty mess. Although it's not like it wasn't already dirty and messy. A wave of dizziness blurred my vision. I closed my eyes tightly, trying to fight against the darkness that wanted to consume me.

"Elena she needs a doctor." Stefan's voice broke through my haze. I felt Elena secure the sheet around my bare form.

"She can't go to the hospital. She's been missing for months. How would we explain this to the town and Jenna? The best thing we can do is take her back to your house." Elena protested much to my relief. I hated doctors even in this weak and dying state. My breathing was becoming a harder task. It felt like a boulder was sitting on my chest and there was a sharp piercing pain each time I sucked in a breath.

"Okay, but you need to go home. Damon can you watch over her-"

"I'll take care of Elena's sister. You take Elena home." That voice reached my ears again. It calmed me. Someone tossed a set of keys to someone else, because I could hear the clink of the keys as they switched hands. I was gently shifted away from Elena before I was lifted into warm arms that flexed under my weight. "Damn, she's light." I leaned my head against the muscled chest. He was warm and smelled of some expensive cologne. I finally lost all consciousness as he lulled me to sleep with the pattern of his walk.

Ow, my head. And that taste. Metallic and warm. What is going on? I groaned, choking on the warm liquid flowing into my mouth. I tried to open my eyes but everything felt so heavy. It was like I couldn't move. A whimper echoed in my ears as I struggled to find some light in my darkness. Someone's fingers were running through my hair as if trying to soothe me. What was wrong with me? Where was I? I started to panic, struggling to push away whatever was filling my mouth with that taste. My wrists were caught in a warm, strong grip almost instantly.

"Hey it's okay. Just relax." Someone soothed gently as they pressed their lips against my hair, nuzzling me. I reluctantly swallowed the eerily familiar substance. The taste reminded me of my pack. What is it? Something was soft yet firm against my parted lips and I was being held back against a hard chest. "Oh would you shut up already?" I heard that voice from earlier complain. He must be talking about the sounds of barking and scratching echoing in a stone room. I blinked my eyes open as I felt the strength return to me, however, I felt a killer headache coming on. Oh boy, that's a wake up call. Everything ached. My chest was sore and my back felt like it took a beating. My vision was foggy as I turned my head pulling away from the source of the liquid. Ugh, what's going on? I shot up on the mattress I felt below me, wincing when my skull connected with something hard. Ow, that fucking hurt. I turned as a familiar voice groaned in pain behind me. I blinked in surprise at the sight of Damon. I looked around the room, seeing wood trimmings and moldings everywhere. So this is what Damon's room looks like.

"That was not expected." he grumbled as he turned his blue-eyed gaze on me. He was so attractive that my insides melted instantly. I cursed inwardly at myself for thinking like that about a vampire. It was bad enough that my sister was all hung up on one. I rubbed the sore spot on my head as I glanced him over. My eyes trailed his beautifully sculpted face to those devilish lips and down to that alluring neck. It begged to be graced with my lips. I shook my head to clear those thoughts.

"What the hell were you doing? Where's Elena and why am I here?" I fired off my questions hysterically as he got this cocky smirk on his face. It was as if he knew something I didn't. My cheeks heated up as I glared at him. His eyes were roaming over me. Why was he looking at me like that? I mean jeez I may look like Elena but I'm not that hot. Especially since the beating I took. I was skinny and probably covered in bruises. I felt something wet dripping down from my chin. What the hell? I pressed my fingers to the substance. I noticed that my hands were shaking. When I pulled my wet fingers back I was faced with the sight of crimson blood. I looked down at myself to see what exactly had his attention aside from the blood and immediately froze. I was naked, a sheet pooled at my hips though. I snatched up the sheet and used it to hide my nakedness. I turned away so I was no longer facing him. He chuckled softly from behind me and I looked down, ashamed that I had only meet him a few hours ago and he had already seen me naked. What time was it anyway? I looked to the windows and saw no light shining through. I guess I hadn't been out too long then.

He stood from the bed, getting my attention as he moved to stand in front of me. I felt his surprisingly soft fingers trail along my jaw line until they lifted my chin up, forcing me to face him. He was smirking as he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. It was so sweet and incredibly unexpected. Why was he being so kind? Maybe it's because I resembled Elena.

"Don't worry, you have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of." he said sensually as he pulled back. My heart stopped and I stared up at him in shock, my jaw slacked. His smirk grew as his icy blue eyes sparkled with humor. I snapped back to reality and tore my face away from his grasp. I glared heatedly at the pillows on the bed, looking anywhere but at him, almost hoping that something would catch fire. More specifically someone. "Elena will be here tomorrow to discuss the situation you two are in. We'll catch you up on everything and probably discuss that little trick you pulled." he explained and I groaned in protest. Why did Elena always get me dragged into her messes? It always resulted in bad things for me. I shouldn't have to deal with this mumbo jumbo. I thought back to our childhood and how everything was always ruined, because of her. Her and her friends teased me nonstop for things I didn't understand. They loved when they hit a nerve, because the lights would flicker and the bulbs would exploded.

I always felt so ashamed after that. They all thought I was a freak of nature. Sometimes I could hear the parents discussing how strange I was and how I didn't belong. I hated visiting father, because she was there. I even stopped for a while. There was only one friend who didn't mind me. Tyler Lockwood was my only friend in town. However, our friendship diminished when I stopped visiting. I think he hated the fact that I stopped going to see him. Word on the street when I moved in with father and Elena after my mother's death was that he had turned into a complete jock. He was all brawny and a jerk now. Nothing like the Tyler I had spent afternoons with at the Lockwood house. I startled back when Damon's face leaned over in front of mine. My hands unconsciously gripping the sheet closer to my form.

"You okay?" he questioned, brow furrowed in concern and I nodded, coming out of my thoughts as I stared into those intense eyes. His lips quirked up in a smile, catching me off guard. This Damon was going to drive me insane. "I'll be back. I need a drink. Help yourself to a shower if you want." he stated nonchalantly while he started towards the door.

"Hey, um do you have any Advil or something? I got a headache." I questioned, stopping him in his tracks. He turned and smirked as he gestured towards the bathroom. I face palmed in my head. Of course there would be some form of headache medicine in the bathroom cabinet. He left out the door and I slid to the edge of the bed, placing my feet gently on the cool floor as I kept the sheet wrapped around my bare body. I padded across the marble tiles until I reached the glass doors of the shower. I slid open the cool glass doors and reached in to turn on the hot water. I waited patiently, listening to the murmur of Damon and Stefan's discussion, before stepping into the shower and under the burning stream of the water. I heaved a sigh as my muscles relaxed and loosened from the heat. The water beating against the shower floor drowned out other sounds in the house and for the first time in a while I could just think.

Well overall I didn't know what to think. Elena was dating a vampire and that was enough to mess with my head. Judging from earlier I suspect that Damon's in love with Elena too. The look of hurt on his face when Elena had ran to Stefan instead of him kept popping up in my head. His eyes had lit up with so much hope. His aura was glowing in that moment when he thought she would run to him. However, it turned dark with disappointment when she didn't. I had always been able to see auras. It was always there, but I had learned to tune out most auras. If I focused on them I could even see the deepest parts of their souls. It kind of just happened sometimes. When I was younger I would hide away at Gram's house. She might have been drunk a lot and it seemed that Bonnie wasn't to fond of that, but I didn't mind. Gram's told me a lot of stories involving the supernatural. Witches and druids were our main topic. She said the Bennett line was one of the most powerful lines of witches in the world. I remember when she told me of a much more powerful witch that was so in tune with nature that they were able to take the form of animals. They were druids, but not all druids could shift. She said I descended from a line that could actually shift. I believed she called them Wildwalkers. Although I dismissed most of her tales of the supernatural until my first shifting. It occurred on the night of the car accident. However, that's a story for another time.

In all honesty I don't know exactly what I am. I just know that I'm apparently some type of all powerful druid and well now I'm a doppelganger. It was difficult for me to recall all of Gram's teachings because I usually wasn't in the right state of mind. I was young and over emotional when I had visited her. Plus it had been years. I don't even know if I can shift at will or if it's just a reaction to stressful situations. So far that's all it has been, but you never know until you try. Well might as well try now, right? I was in the privacy of the shower anyway. Not that it was really private at all considering the doors and everything were glass. However, the steam had fogged up most of the glass. I sighed, preparing myself and closed my eyes as I concentrated on the image of a black wolf. I figured it my work better that way. There was a change in the aura that surrounds myself. It felt like it was flaring out and molding itself into a new shape. I opened my eyes as it settled down around me. I was expecting to feel shorter, but I felt no different. I looked down at myself to see perfectly human skin and features. Well at least I gave it a shot. I huffed in defeat and reached over to grab the body wash. Of course Damon would use Old Spice. Well on the Brightside I'd smell amazing and attract the female population. I scrubbed my arms and torso with a rag that had the body wash poured onto it. For some reason it felt like cool droplets of water were splashing at me. My brow furrowed and the feeling stopped. Weird. I moved down my body scrubbing away all traces of the forest on my skin. I got splashed again and once more my brow furrowed in curiosity. I turned the upper half of my body, looking to see exactly what was going on. There was a tail. Fluffy and ebony with the slightest hints of red was my tail. It was soaked and dripping with the shower water.

It wagged and I did a mental victory dance. A smile tugged at my lips as I continued to wash myself, however, when I went to wash my hair I noticed two furry and pointy ears coming out from my head. I scrubbed them gently as they twitched away from the touch. I rinsed and turned off the shower. Standing there in the steam for a moment before going back out into my hectic life. I grabbed a towel from the rack and dried out my hair before wrapping it around myself as I headed back into Damon's bedroom. He was nowhere to be found still and so I took a moment to look around. It was pretty plain. Nothing but wooden furniture, white sheets, and books littering the nightstand and the floors.I turned my attention to the wooden dresser and decided that clothes were a must find. I traced the polished wood as I reached the handle and pulled the drawer open. Inside I found a pair of gray boxer briefs, which would have to do for now. Luckily they weren't too big and snapped into place as I pulled them up my legs to rest at my hips. I made sure to leave my tail free. I pulled out another drawer and found one of Damon's black button-down shirts and grinned. Eh, I wonder what Stefan would think if he caught Elena walking around in Damon's shirt. That may make a good prank. I grinned mischievously at the thought while I slid the shirt up my arms, messing with the buttons until I finally got them into the holes. I glanced down at my makeshift outfit, my cheeks flushing. Jeez, I look kind of easy right now. Well at least my headache had eased from the shower.

I walked back into the bathroom, towel in hand as I headed to get some Advil. I swallowed the pills dry after putting the towel in the hamper and noticed the sheet I used earlier was still lying on the bathroom floor. I sighed and walked over, picking it up and taking it back to the bed.

I caught the sight of Elena's necklace on top of a stack of old books on the nightstand. Walking over I picked it up, looking it over closely. It had a very witchy feel to the design. I felt like I had seen it before. Damon was sweet enough to retrieve the necklace for my sister. He really did care deeply for her. The door opened unexpectedly and I paused in my examination of the old jewelry. My back stiffened considerably when I remembered my tail. It gave a wag and I immediately spun around to face the intruder. Damon had walked in, glass in hand and was luckily shutting the door instead of facing me. When he turned to face me I took in the frustrated look on his face. He didn't look particularly happy. His brow was furrowed and the corners of his lips tugged down in a frown. He looked up at me with those crystal blue eyes of his instantly making my insides melt. Oh wow. My hands clutched the necklace in front of me.

"Hi." I greeted shyly, unsure of what to say in this silence. His mood lightened almost instantly.

"Hey." He replied after taking a swig of the bourbon in his glass. I offered a small smile holding out Elena's necklace as he stepped further into the room.

"What's so special about this?" I questioned, trying to make sense of Elijah's previous anger at seeing it on Elena. I wanted to know why he tore it from her neck and tossed it away and why Elena submitted to his will after it was gone.

"It's the vervain. It protects against compulsion by vampires."

"Oh. So are you going to give it back?" I asked, looking down at the necklace for a moment. Damon came to stand in front of me and I turned my gaze upward. He took the necklace from my grasp.

"Of course." The smell of alcohol hit me. Wow, that was a strong smell in half shift. He reached around me placing the necklace back in its place on his nightstand. I bit my lip at his close proximity. "Shouldn't you be asleep? I thought you had a headache."

"I do but I wanted some answers first." I replied nonchalantly. He stepped back, moving into the direction of the bathroom. A relieved sigh escaped my lips when he was further away. I quickly moved to slip into the bed where I could shift without any worry of being caught. I crawled into bed pulling the covers up and over me. Silently I watched as he finished off his glass of bourbon. He set it down on the bathroom counter before turning his attention to his shirt. Damon's fingers fumbled with the buttons of his black button down shirt. The front came open revealing only some of the smooth skin on his torso. My tail wagged beneath the sheets making me panic. Shit. I cursed internally capturing the traitorous tail between my thighs. Once I had that problem solved I looked back to him. His shirt was disposed of, hanging over the top of the hamper. My eyes were graced with the sight of his sculpted chest. My inner animal longed to see more of him. A blush dusted my cheeks when he turned his gaze on me. I turned over in bed, tucking the blanket under my chin. Damon slid into bed behind me and I tensed instantly, praying that he didn't accidentally touch my tail.

"So where did you go?" I questioned as I rolled onto my stomach, propping my head up on my arms as I glanced him over. My eyes following along his strong jaw-line and features. He had laid back in a relaxed position, his arms behind his head. He was watching me with those icy eyes of his. They held a warmth that soothed my troubled mind. Just a little conversation could help me understand my situation. The very situation my sister had dragged me into. He shifted off of his left arm and took a lock of my faded hair between his fingers. My hair was still slightly damp as he twirled it around his fingers gently. I watched him with a curious gaze.

"You know if you leave your hair this wet, you'll catch a cold." he teased and I glared heatedly in response. He grimaced as he gazed at me, lost as to why I was giving him a death glare.

"You're avoiding my question Damon. I don't like that." I stated as I shifted away from him, feeling slightly uncomfortable from the intensity in those blue orbs. He turned his gaze away from my face and looked behind me. His brows furrowed in confusion. I followed his stare and instantly panicked. My tail had started to wag with my irritation at Damon. Oh fuck, how am I going to explain this? I immediately started to turn back over onto my back, but a warm hand gripped my shoulder keeping me in place.

He pushed himself up into a sitting position as I buried my head in the pillows, utterly dreading what I knew was coming. The sheets shifted away from my body allowing the cool air in as he lifted them up. A taunting smirk graced his lips as I peeked out from the pillow at him. He looked at me, his face showing disapproval.

"And you're keeping secrets." he softly chastised with amusement tainting his tone. He set the sheets lower on my legs, reaching out to run his hand over the black fur of my wolf-like tail. A warning growl escaped my lips. Oh boy, that feels kind of good. I thought, my face flushing from the tingling sensation traveling up my spine.

"Damon." I hissed as I fought to keep control while he turned to watch me. He grinned mischievously. He raked his dull nails along my tail causing me to bite my lip to hold back the soft moan that wanted to escape. What the hell was he thinking? I buried my face back into the pillow, fighting to concentrate on willing away my tail and ears. The aura surrounding my body shifted when I felt Damon's fingers slipping up under his shirt that was currently on me. "What are you doing?" I questioned tightly. His fingers ran across my lower back and I looked up from the pillow to glare at him.

"It's gone." he whispered in amazement, his blue-eyes shifting in confusion as he pulled his hand back from under the shirt. He turned to watch me, his eyes were blue pools of bewilderment. They were so beautiful, but still my glare was to die for. His brow furrowed as he settled back down beside me on the bed. He thought for a few minutes, just laying there gazing up at the ceiling as I gazed at him. "We'll have to discuss all of this with Elena and Stefan tomorrow. For now just sleep." he breathed out beside me and I smiled, relieved to finally get some rest. However, I was dreading the fact that I would have to explain anything. I surely didn't ask for any of this. There was no way I would explain myself until Elena explained her reasoning behind messing with vampires.

I shifted closer to Damon's side as he tensed at my touch. I placed my hand on his rising and falling chest while resting my head in the junction between his chest and arm. Phew, this guy had some muscle. And he was oh so warm too. I felt him move so that he was staring down at me, obviously he was confused by my closeness to him.

"It's a wolf thing. If only I had my pack with me." I whispered to cure his confusion and to hint that I hadn't particularly liked that my pack was locked up in what I believed was the basement. Remembering what I had heard as I started to come to earlier. He chuckled softly as he wrapped his arm around me. I flushed slightly at how close I was to him. Whoa, that was not predictable.

"No way in hell am I letting those dogs ruin my Persian rugs." he stated humorlessly and I grinned. Of course he would be a clean freak. A vampire with a rug addiction. I closed my eyes, interlinking my cool, bare legs with his warm, jean clad ones. I was comfortable with his warmth heating my slightly cold form. He was so comfortable that I started to drift off with one of the most deadly creatures on earth in the bed with me. "Night Damon." I said drowsily and Damon gently ran his hand over my side in response. I let myself slip into the darkness known as sleep. I had to be rested if I was going to face Elena and her lover boy tomorrow. Something about Damon beside me, made me feel that I could get through anything, that nothing would ever be too bad as long as I had him to back me up. His aura wrapped around mine and I smiled in my sleep, maybe I finally had another friend. It had been such a long time since I had a friend. I could only hope Elena wouldn't ruin this one.

**Whelp that's all for this chapter. Review if you want more.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome to the next chapter of this fanfiction. All TVD characters belong to their rightful owners and mine belong to me. Read and review. Reviews keep me going peeps.**

_**Krista: Woohooo! This is really good. Can't wait for the next chapter! (:**_

_**Guest: Loved it! I really like Willow and that last ever where she fell asleep was really cute!**_  
_** Keep it up :)**_

**Thank you to all that reviewed on Chap 1. I decided I'd give a shout out to those that did review. Gosh, you guys made me so happy! :3 **

**Chp 2**

I groaned shifting closer to the warm spot on the bed. I reached out groggily grabbing onto a soft pillow, pulling it to my chest as I nuzzled my face into the comforting smell. It was a comforting smell, Damon's scent. Hmm, this is so nice. I didn't want to move from my current position but an array of sunlight covered my face. I turned over in response and pulled the sheets over my head when I heard a humored chuckle. The sheets started to tug and I whined in protest.

"Damon, stop it." I moaned sleepily as I tried to get a good grip on the sheets to pull them back over my head. He tugged harder and I became very much awake as the cool air hit my half-dressed self. I sat up and turned to face Damon with a heated glare, however, when my sights landed on him he was standing at the foot of the bed with a very attractive and very guilty smirk.

"Good morning sleeping beauty." he teased and I grinned as I grabbed his pillow and threw it at him. He ducked it but was unprepared when I pounced on him and tackled him to the ground. He laughed and rolled me over so that he was straddling my hips. I giggled and looked up into those beautiful blue eyes. "Hi there." he teased with a smile as he leaned closer to me. I blushed at the closeness and quickly reached up to grab his shoulders and gain enough leverage to roll us so that I was back on top.

"Hi." I replied as I sat on his stomach. He smirked up at me and I felt my insides melt. I placed my hands on his chest as I pushed myself off of him and stood up, leaving him on the floor. So, Stefan and Elena were on my agenda today. I walked over to his dresser while combing my long, faded black hair with my fingers. To let it fade out or to dye it again? The world may never know. I smiled to myself as I rummaged through his dresser for a longer shirt.

I listened to the house for a second as I looked for new clothes. Moose and Koda were munching on some type of meat in the basement. Stefan was in the kitchen making coffee and Damon was getting himself off the floor. I heard a girl's voice. One that was familiar talking with Stefan as he opened a cabinet and grabbed some coffee mugs. What was she doing here? I groaned and finally pulled out one of his gray V-necks before looking into his drawer full of boxers for some new briefs. I pulled out a black pair and padded over to the bed, when I heard the shower water running and noticed that Damon was no longer in the room. I sighed and pulled off his shirt and slid on his V-neck. The change of briefs came next and I was finished. I kind of looked like I was wearing shorty-shorts and a normal shirt. However, I faced the dilemma of not having a bra.

I huffed in frustration before heading into the bathroom in search of some type of bandages that would make a wrap. I blushed lightly at the fogged sight of Damon's body through the glass doors of the shower. Whoa, he was drop dead gorgeous even all fogged up. Not wanting to get caught staring I looked back towards the cabinets below the sink in hopes that he hadn't noticed. I moved a few extra towels and toiletries around before finally finding some bandages. I grabbed the box and placed it on top of the counter. I grimaced as I stared into my reflection. My eyes were a glowing color wheel as they stared back at me. They showed my mixed emotions and confusion at my situation in life since my father's death. My life had completely changed on that night. In all truth I blamed myself for their death. Sadly Elena made it. I thought bitterly.

I had been drinking that night at the bonfire. Elena had shown up and was trying to ruin my fun since her and Matt had a little spat. My breath smelled of alcohol as I stumbled away from the fire. I wasn't drunk. In all my time as a party-goer I had never been drunk or faced the horrors of a hang over. The moon shone bright over head. I was changing. I remember the fear and confusion I felt as I searched for something familiar. I had been running through the woods but I had to cross the bridge to get home and at that moment my father's car had slammed into my side. I felt the bones snap and pierce my organs. The oxygen flew out of my lungs that were quickly filling with blood. I lay there dying when I heard the splash of the car falling into the dark waters flowing beneath the bridge. Through my broken haze I saw the most gorgeous blue eyes staring down at me. A warm liquid filled my mouth, pouring down my throat. I couldn't tell if it was my own blood or the beholder of those icy blue orbs. Then everything blacked out. I closed my eyes at the memory of how close I was to death. I had run away after I had awoken. Not remembering why I had no injuries and feeling guilty. Terribly guilty. The guilt ate away at me. I snapped back to reality when I felt a very wet and dripping Damon blow his hot breath onto my exposed neck. I blinked a few times, shivering while he smirked behind me.

"Hey, you okay? You were staring off into space." he questioned as his blue eyes darkened in concern. I gave him a small smile and grabbed the box of bandages off the counter, beginning to open it.

"I'm fine, I was just thinking about stuff." I replied to ease his worries. I thought he would move away and go to find some new clothes but apparently I was wrong. He turned me around to face him and my face heated up when I noticed he was only wearing a towel. My eyes traveled down his sculpted abs to that delicious v-shape created by his hips. I chewed my lip nervously with a hint of excitement. He grinned down at me, knowing full well that I was eyeing him up when he took the roll of bandages from my hand.

"Need help?" he teased wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as my face grew hotter. I looked away and reached to steal back the bandages but he pulled them away.

"Damon." I whined with a pout. He tossed the bandages back into the box and placed it back under the sink. My jaw dropped in response. Why did he do that? Damon grabbed my hand turning on his heel and walking away so I quickly trotted after him. We ended up back inside of his bedroom and at his dresser. I groaned impatiently as he opened the bottom drawer. He pulled out a black bra and held it out to me. I rolled my eyes at him as I took them from his hand. Of course he would have a drawer full of lady's lingerie.

"That should fix your problem." he smirked at me before turning his gaze back to his heaps of clothing. I smiled and pulled my arms through the arms of his shirt so that I could slide on the bra. It fit perfectly. I'm just gonna go with the fact that Damon has had a lot of time to learn breast size just by glance. Damon grabbed an outfit and made his way over to the bed. I watched as the muscles flexed underneath his smooth skin. Oh hot damn. My tongue swiped over my bottom lip. I wonder how he'd taste under my tongue. I shook my head to push back the more animalistic side of me that wanted to pounce on Damon. He turned to me, his teeth showing beneath a very taunting smile.

"You saying for the show or?" he teased as a bright blush traveled up my neck and to my cheeks. I had to act as if his burning blue eyes didn't affect me at all.

"Is that an invitation or?" I returned easily, putting on the cool façade. He turned to face me completely making to remove the towel from his hips. I covered my eyes, running out of the room to save myself from Damon's torture. I walked out into the hallway, glancing around at the magnificent house. I tip-toed down the stairs and made my way through the house in search of a kitchen. I paused listening for the sound of the coffee maker. It was early enough for coffee, right?

There was the familiar purr and gurgle of coffee becoming the energy drink it was off to my right. I followed the sound silently, schooling my face to erase the burning blush Damon had caused. I peeked into the kitchen saw Stefan and Rose leaning against the counter, coffee mugs in hand.

"Coffee?" Stefan offered as he put his mug on the counter. I nodded walking in with a smile as I looked around at the kitchen for a moment. It was beautiful and didn't look like it got used much. Definitely a dream kitchen for any housewife. Rose was taking in my state of dress judgingly. Just by her aura alone I could tell she thought Damon and I had gone at it like rabbits last night. I walked over to the fridge to see if there was anything to snack on as Stefan glanced over at me. I pulled open the door and blinked in surprise at what I saw. Nothing was in there. Um, where's the food? I groaned as I closed the door and looked down at my growling stomach. "Sorry, we don't eat here much." Stefan's voice called my attention to him and I watched him as he poured me a full cup of black coffee.

"It's fine. I don't particularly like eating in the morning." I answered to ease his brooding gaze. However, it didn't ease at all and I figured my clothing was putting him off as well. Well this is awkward. I walked over to Stefan taking the coffee graciously and taking in his features. He was dirty blond with the super hero hairdo and beautiful green eyes. Stefan's aura was far too pure but if I touched him I knew I could unlock every dark secret hidden in that purity. For some reason I had a feeling that he was much darker than Damon as a vampire. I stepped back when a ghostly voice whispered "ripper" in my ear. I was close to dropping my mug but I collected myself before anyone took notice. "I'm Willow by the way. Incase you didn't know. Judging by your surprise last night my dear sister hasn't mentioned me at all." I introduced myself formally to Stefan. It needed to be done and so it was. His brow furrowed and the hint of a frown graced his lips. Why so serious? I wondered sipping gingerly at the black coffee.

"Stefan. Is there any reason she wouldn't mention you?" he replied looking over at me. I mulled over the many reasons she wouldn't mention me. Well I need to make my answer short and sweet.

"Not the best relationship and I ditched out of town when the accident happened." I grimaced when the coffee burned my tongue a little. Stefan only became more brooding after my answer. Oh well. I set down my mug and padded across the kitchen to Rose. I held out my hand as she took on a look of confusion. She hesitated as she took my hand in hers and gave it a shake. "Rose, it's a pleasure. Well now that your not trying to trade me off to some other psycho vampire." I greeted with a smile and she looked over to Stefan, unsure of what exactly to do. Stefan did his head tilt thing and she returned my greetings.

"It's nice to meet you too, Willow?" she said awkwardly. Her nervousness made my smile widen. Oh the joys of being different. As far as they knew I was just some strange mishap in the family. I let her hand go and returned to my coffee. Damon's footsteps could be heard easily as he made his way downstairs. At first I thought he would come join us, but a knock at the door stopped him. I tuned in with my heightened hearing just to stay in the know. I was still dreading the interrogation I expected to come from Elena so I silently prayed it wasn't her.

"Hello, Elena." he greeted and I sighed as I leaned back against the counter and downed my coffee slowly. Well then.

"Is Stefan here? He called. He said it was important." Elena said, sounding unsure and like something was different. She didn't seem so thrilled to be here as I expected her to be. I mean Stefan was her boyfriend, right? In all truth she made it seem like he was an ex. I heard Damon open the door more as Stefan left the kitchen, Rose trailing after him at a slower pace as if she didn't know exactly what to do.

"Hey." Stefan greeted Elena and I tip toed out into the den silently. I went unnoticed due to the fact that Elena saw Rose. I plopped down onto the couch with a sigh, patiently awaiting my doom. They all walked into the den after Elena's short lived surprise that Rose was here. I looked at Elena as she took a seat next to me.

"Hello Elena." I greeted as nicely as I could without coming off too bitter.

"Willow, how are you feeling?" Elena questioned once again moving to give a hug that I quickly avoided.

"Fine."

"Care to explain where you've been these past few months?"

"Care to explain why you're mingling with vampires?" I countered with venom lacing my tone. I took notice of the hurt look that crossed Damon's face. The atmosphere in the room was tense and awkward to say the least.

"Why are you always like this Willow? You're just as bad as Jeremy in drugs except you're not on drugs. You left when our father died. When my mother took you in as her own after you lost your mother." She questioned, her temper beginning to snap. I stood from the couch and turned to her.

"Don't act all high and mighty Elena. Your mother hated me just as much as you do. You are no saint. You treated me like shit any time I was forced to visit. I owe you and your family nothing. I see exactly why Jeremy needs drugs to even deal with living in that house." I snapped, my eyes cold and piercing as they glared at Elena. My aura whipped around me and I felt my fangs coming out.

"Willow." Stefan warned and I turned my glare on him.

"Oh shut up. You aren't any saint either Stefan." I growled out. Damon seemed to actually like when I bit his brother's head off. I could see his smile from the corner of my eye

"All I want to know is where you've been and why you left." Elena drew my attention back to her. I heaved a sigh of frustration. Fine whatever.

"The forest. I was in the forest living happily with my pack until she kidnapped me. As a matter of fact I should just leave with my pack." My glare went from Elena to Rose and back again. I made to leave the room, but Elena's grip on my wrist stopped me. I turned on her fangs bared and threatening. "Don't you dare try to stop me, Elena. This is your mess. You made your bed with the lions, not me." I tore my arm from her grip with a growl and started on my merry way. I had to get my pack first and so I headed in the direction their growls and barks came from. I ended up in a dark and creepy basement. There was a cell like door and I made to open it but a hand gripped my wrist and forced me to turn around. I came face to face with Damon after he pinned me to the door. Moose and Koda grew vicious. Damon was glaring down at me as he leaned closer. My body was sandwiched between his and the door.

"Willow, you need to calm down. Elena is trying to help."

"She's the reason I'm even in this mess. I don't need anyone's help." I argued, challenging him to make a valid point. My brief moment of confidence and defiance flew out the door when his lips crashed against mine. My lips parted in a stunned gasp allowing him easy access to my mouth. I struggled to free my wrists from his grasp when I recovered my senses. My wish for freedom was granted but his hands moved to capture my face keeping me still as his lips molded mine. My resistance melted when his tongue swiped over my fangs. It sent a pleased shiver down my spine. My hands ran up his chest over his shirt and wrapped around his neck. His hands slipped down my body and cupped the back of my thighs, lifting me up against the door as he stepped in between my thighs. Oh my god. He released my lips briefly allowing me to breath as his lips moved down my neck. I panted for air as my fingers tangled in his hair.

"No wonder Elena mingled with vampires." I breathed out with a smile. Damon pulled back smiling at me before capturing my lips again. I kissed him back with a passion. A small moan escaped my throat when he pressed against me more. I fought for dominance and celebrated a brief victory when he allowed my tongue to explore his mouth. Damon groaned when I lightly bit down on his bottom lip. I drew a few drops of blood and licked the wounds gingerly. When we finally pulled apart I had enough sense to wonder if Stefan and Rose heard anything.

"Better now?" Damon questioned cockily with a smirk. I chewed my bottom lip with a nod. He set me down on my wobbly knees. Wow he was hot. Really freaking hot. "Vampires aren't so bad now are they?" he teased, earning a glare.

"You're not so bad." I replied, gently pushing him back. His eyes sparkled playfully at my answer.

"I'm the bad brother."

"Stefan is no saint. You are pretty close no matter how much you deny it." I countered, taking his hand in mine. His hand was warm and I smiled when he stepped forward placing a soft kiss to my forehead.

"You're not so bad either, Wolfy." His reply made my heart flutter. Well this was better than just walking out. I tugged on his hand after slipping past him.

"Come on let's see what Rose has to talk about." I felt that I was getting too attached. I knew that it shouldn't be this way. His kiss shouldn't have erased all desire to leave. What the hell was I thinking kissing him back? He followed me up the stairs and back into the main floor. I let his hand go before we reached the others.

"Willow-" Elena started but I held up my hand, gesturing for her to just shut up. I sat myself on the arm of the couch, trying not to look at Damon. For some reason he felt familiar. His touch and those blue eyes. I could almost place what made them so familiar but I couldn't just yet.

"Rose would you like to start explaining?" I suggested, gesturing for her to start. At least the attention would be off of me. I turned my attention to Rose who was pacing in front of the fireplace. Her whole aura was nervous as if she didn't know whether we would believe her. It didn't help that all of us were staring her down. She was looking for the words to start us off on our discussion of the Original threat that faced Elena and I.

"Okay, you have to understand I only know what I've picked up over the years and I don't know what's true and what's not true. It's the problem with all this vampire crap but Klaus, I know he's real. " Rose started. I looked at her in confusion. For some reason the name sounded oddly familiar. Elena was at a lost concerning who Klaus was and so she voiced our question.

"Who is he?" Elena stated as she crossed her arms.

My attention was definitely snagged with this whole Klaus guy but for the life of me I couldn't remember where I had heard that name before. I glanced up at Damon he seemed to be the first one with an answer to our question.

"He's one of the originals, he's a legend." Damon stated as he glanced over at Elena and I. His tone was joking and so Stefan countered with more information what Damon had said.

"From the first generation of vampires." Stefan elaborated while giving my sister a good stare down. She tilted her head as she looked at him, perched up on the arm of a chair. Even in this tense situation there was definitely still some form of connection between Stefan and my sister.

"Like Elijah?" Elena asked and a full blown grin spread across my face at the thought of that Original. Rawr he was so damn gorgeous. Definitely a solid second place to Damon. Too bad Damon staked him dead. I glanced over at Damon for a brief second remembering what had conspired in the basement. I had begun to tune out the conversation.

"...bunny compared to Klaus. He's a foot soldier. Klaus is the real deal." Rose finished when I finally started paying attention again. Grrr. I might've missed something important. Curse the sexy beasts known as Damon and Elijah. Stefan continued with his little inputs to better help my sister understand exactly who Klaus was. Unfortunately I wasn't too concerned anymore.

"Klaus is known to be the oldest." He stated while Elena and I glanced at each other briefly. She glanced at all of the others as she lifted her hand and pointed in Stefan and Rose's direction.

"Okay, so you're saying that the oldest vampire in the history of time is coming after me?" she asked in disbelief. What about me? I thought as I fidgeted with the cushion next to me, pulling it off the couch and setting it in my lap to trace the designs.

"Don't forget about me, Elena." I was still bitter, but Damon had lightened my mood a little. Well we're all gonna die anyway. Yay! I grimaced as my fingers traced over the patterns.

"Yes." Rose exclaimed and my head popped up as suddenly this discussion became a debate over whether or not we were in danger.

"No."

"What they're saying is, I mean if what she's saying is true…" Damon started to elaborate as he walked over to stand beside Rose but was interrupted. Rawr, Pixie, Rawr. Stop interrupting him.

"Which it is." she retorted smartly to Damon. Although he smugly countered with, "And you're not saying it so I don't kill you"

"Which I'm not." Rose confirmed and I held back a giggle as I watched them two. Stefan and Elena staring them both down at their little back and forth banter.

"Then we're looking at a solid maybe." Damon finished and I actually let out some of my laughter. However, my sister didn't share my humor. She turned to look at me with a glare and I laughed harder. I focused on controlling myself as her glare intensified.

"Sorry, I just couldn't help it." I offered an apology and she took a deep breath, obviously frustrated with the situation and well me. Stefan shifted which drew our attention back to the three vampires over by the fire place.

"Look, Elijah's dead, right? So no one else even knows that you exist." Stefan tried to lighten my sister's mood and I turned to look at him with a glare. You could never truly be sure about this supernatural mumbo jumbo.

"Not that you know of " Rose stated smartly and I knew she was just trying to keep the situation as real as possible. Stefan and Damon, however, were trying to keep Elena soothed and calm about everything that was possible.

"That's not helping " Damon retorted as he shook his head and rolled his eyes at Rose. Rose looked at him with her mouth agape after his little retort.

"Look, I've never even met anyone who's laid eyes on him. I mean, we're talking centuries of truth mixed with fiction. We don't know if he's real. For all we know he could just be some sort of stupid bed time story." Stefan soothed in response to Rose's attempts to get the reality of the situation out there as he moved over to sit beside my sister. I groaned inwardly at his eagerness to comfort her. Had to admit, he smelled nice though.

"He's real and he doesn't give up. If he wants something, he gets it. If you're not afraid of Klaus, then you're an idiot. " Rose warned as he stood up, getting our attention to turn to her. She was dead serious as she said this and I actually felt a tad bit of fear creep up my spine.

"Alright, we're shaking. You made your point." Damon sarcastically pointed out to get Rose to shut up about all of the danger.

I stood up from the couch and made to walk away when I felt Damon's hand grab mine.

"Where do you think your going?" he questioned softly, but it came off as stern. I turned to face him. A glare that could very well do some damage to a vampire is what I gave him. His brow furrowed in confusion and deep down I felt bad, but I was so done with this.

"I'm leaving." I stated simply and pulled my hand from his warm grasp as I turned back around to go and find my pack so I could go back to a much more normal life. Well as close to normal as I could get. He flashed in front of me and I gave a small growl. His blue eyes were pools that were vulnerable and I couldn't look at him anymore. Elena grabbed my arm and pulled me away from Damon so that she could of course give me a lecture.

"You're not going anywhere." she stated sternly and I actually went to slap her. How dare she tell me what to do after dragging me into this mess? I was seething as my wrist was caught in Damon's grip, stopping me from slapping the most deserving person I had ever met. Damon wrapped his arms around me and kept his grip tight on my wrists as I growled in frustration. I wanted to leave, didn't they understand that? I wanted to be alone. It's not like any of them were concerned about me. Well except Damon, but I knew he had slipped away last night. I couldn't be that important to him. He had Elena. Well Stefan had Elena but he did too.

"Breathe Willow. Calm down." he soothed as he nuzzled my hair with his nose. I huffed but actually decided to listen. I closed my eyes. I took a few deep breaths as he held me there and I felt a little better as I relaxed against him. Everyone else in the room had stopped. Looking curiously at the exchange between Damon and I. Elena looked like she was fuming internally about the closeness that was developing between Damon and I. He let me go and I walked back to Elena. Her eyes were darkened showing her annoyance as I stood before her.

"I just I hate this. It's all about you. My life has always been hell because of you." I vented as her mouth dropped open in shock. Stefan was puzzled as she grabbed her bag off the couch.

"Where are you going?" Stefan questioned as she began to walk away. She paused in her stride and turned to look at him, her aura radiating bitchiness. I felt kind of bad for Stefan as she turned her fierce gaze on him.

"School. I'm late." she answered with an attitude and he stood up to join her.

"Let me grab my stuff, I'll go with you." he stated as he looked at her his gaze soft and worried. Her reaction was totally unexpected as she got smart with him.

"It's okay, I know where it is." she replied with a seriously bad attitude and my mouth dropped open in shock. What the hell? He didn't do anything wrong. I fumed internally as I watched my sister turn and leave. I looked back to Stefan and he looked like a lost puppy. Damon leaned over to Rose, "She's in denial."

I giggled as Stefan turned to snap at Damon, "Shut up, Damon.". They're attention turned back to me and I put on my most innocent face. What did I do? Stefan was brooding and frustrated as he stared me down. "Why can't you just forgive her?" he questioned and I shook my head.

"Not a chance. She's not worth forgiving." I answered as I walked out of the room, heading back into the kitchen to make more coffee when my stomach growled again. I was about to turn on the coffee maker when I heard Moose and Koda barking and scratching at a door. I followed the sounds down into a basement and found myself back at a latched door. I undid the latch and stepped into the little cell type room where I saw Moose and Koda waiting patiently for me. I smiled and closed the door behind me. I was home. Well almost home. I sighed and knelt down, letting Moose and Koda smother me with kisses as I ran my hands through their fur. I held them close, taking in their familiar scents as the nudged me with their snouts. They were larger than I was when I knelt down and they were well built animals. They oozed power and playfulness when we were out in the forest.

I smiled as I thought back to the times when I was in my wolf form and we went hunting together, chasing down whatever we heard first. We used to wrestle too. Always making it a competition to see who was most powerful. Usually it was me, but that's probably because I'm a supernatural occurrence and well they were average wolves that I had found in my time of need. I have never actually really been with them in my human form, considering my emotions had forced me into another form. I was under too much stress and I lost the humanity within me. Living in those woods with them for all that time helped push me to recover. I smiled while gently petting them as I sat on the ground. I was relaxed with them curled up next to me. It reminded me of how I felt when Damon's aura reached out and wrapped around mine. It was soothing and calming. Something I couldn't fight. I sighed shifting so that I was leaning back against Moose's form as I ran my fingers over Koda's fur. Rose's crying reached my ears. I sat up before pushing myself up completely. Moose whined in response. They really felt that I was abandoning them the more time I spent with people. My pack stood up for a goodbye and I leaned down placing a kiss to both furry heads.

"I'll be pack. Stay here." I left the door opened a crack, knowing they would obey my orders. I snuck silently up the basement stairs. I stopped just outside the room when I heard Damon in there.

"Alright Rosebud. I need some answers. Oh please don't tell me you're crying 'cause your buddy Trevor lost his head." Damon was not the most sensitive person at the moment. Rose sniffed while wiping away her tears.

"You've always been this sensitive?" She inquired easily voicing my thoughts on how he approached the mournful vampire. I felt for her considering she was being dismissed in her warnings about the danger of this Klaus figure.

"Full vampire switch for this very reason. Takes the emotion out of it."

"I don't believe that at all Damon." I commented, walking into the room. I needed answers as much as he did.

"Yeah, you switch yours, I'll switch mine." Rose offered, looking at Damon with those fierce eyes of hers. She was a beauty even after crying. However, her suggestion kind of came off in the wrong light. It sounded more like a pickup line.

"Is that a dig?" Damon questioned turning to look at her. He made a face and well it was cute.

"It's an observation. Being in love with your brother's girlfriend must be difficult." Oh low blow there Rose. I leaned against the arch that lead into the room.

"I'm not in love with anyone." He denied, giving her a look that clearly said she was crazy for thinking that. It was the worst lie I'd ever seen.

"You want to try that again?" Rose offered with an arched brow. Me and her were on the same page. He was bad at this denial thing.

"Don't get on my bad side." He warned after appearing before her.

"You're not even the slightest bit convincing." Damon's glare turned on me. However Rose was there to pull the negativity off of me.

"Then show me your good side." She challenged, not even flinching at his threat. We both knew he wouldn't kill her. It would jeopardize Elena.

"How do I find Klaus?" Damon asked simply looking for a clear answer.

"You don't find Klaus, he finds you."

Well that's not helpful at all.

"Come on. Somebody's got to know somebody who knows where he is, right?" Damon made a very valid point. I just thought it would suck if he found me. As far as I've seen I'm pretty much on my own. It didn't matter if they said my name or dragged me in to listen to the discussion, I was on the outs. Everyone was concerned for Elena's safety, not mine.

"Add another two hundred somebodies to that and you're still not even close." Rose didn't make the situation seem any easier. She was obviously an old vampire who had dealt with these Originals. It was a wonder why she didn't know more about them. Half a century on the run from them must've revealed more about them.

"Humor me. You got in touch with Elijah, how did you do it?" Damon had walked a few paces away as Rose took a seat on the arm of a chair.

"Through a very low somebody on the totem pole. A guy name Slater in Richmond." Well that's a start. Phew, I hadn't been to Richmond before, but I had thankfully lived out of Mystic Falls unlike Elena. I don't know if she's ever left, but a lot of things have indeed occurred during my absence.

"Perfect. I'll drive." Damon was ready to go and well so was I. My clothes did pose a small problem though.

"No. You forget not all of us can do sun." Rose answered. I was truly curious as to why Rose and Trevor couldn't do sun, but Damon and Stefan could.

"Then you drive. Come on."

"Rose, do you have any pants I could borrow perhaps?" I questioned sweetly.

"Who said you were going?" Damon taunted turning to look at me.

"I did." I answered confidently. Rose got up from her seat and walked out of the room for a moment, before returning with shorts and a pair of ankle high boots. I took them from her sliding each essential article on. "Thank you Rose. Let's go get some answers."

Rose had the keys and so we followed her out of the house and to a shiny black SUV. She took driver while Damon took shotgun. I reluctantly took back seat, but at least I could lay back and relax.

"Willow, you're different from Elena. Is there any variations in your family?" Rose questioned as she pulled out of the Salvatore driveway. I mulled it over for a brief moment.

"Well half of my lineage is Petrova and the other half is druid. That's about all I know when it comes to family." My answer caught Rose's curiosity in its grasp. Her green eyes flicked to look at me in the mirror.

"Is that the reason behind your whole wolfy shifting thing?" Damon inquired, glancing back at me. I smiled to myself. It wasn't that simple.

"Yes, but it's by far not a wolf thing. I'm no werewolf. I just prefer being a wolf, because it was my first shift." Damon's eyes never left me as I spoke. It was unnerving, but for the second time that day I had images of that night flash back into the forefront of my mind. Those blue eyes that I had seen kept swirling around in my thoughts. Who was the owner of those eyes?

"Is there a clear back story to you and Elena?" Damon asked looking back at the road. I heaved a sigh. I was very reluctant to answer, but Damon had been the only one to really support me.

"She was the worst sister ever. It didn't help that father thought of me only has a mistake either. Every time I visited she would get all of her friends to pick on me, because I'm different obviously. Even with my high exceeding grades I was looked upon like a delinquent. Hence why I have piercings, tattoos, drink, and longboards and skateboards." I answered the best I could. My tattoos I could easily shift away. I made sure of that. My piercings were plentiful ranging from snake bites to plugs. I could shift away the plugs too. Sadly all of my jewelry was packed away in Elena's closet.

"Where is all this stuff? Last time I checked you had flawless skin." Damon was shocked to say the least. His words could be taken the wrong way and it brought a blush to my checks. I knew Rose was already thinking I had slept with him.

"No Rose I did not sleep with him. And Damon I can shift them away just as easily as I can shift into an animal."

"I didn't think that-" Rose started but I cut her off.

"Don't deny it Rose. I saw the judgy eyes you were giving me when I came down half-dressed in his clothes." Damon seemed amused by the topic between Rose and I. He was a hot piece of meat if you ask me. However, he loved Elena and thus anything he did for me was probably because he thought I could be her. He would look at me and see her. I didn't want that at all. I wanted him to see me for me. The car grew darker than it had been considering the windows were practically black. It seemed we had pulled into some garage area. For some reason I could smell coffee and we were out in public so that meant food was nearby too. I had barely noticed anything on the way here. Time flew by when you were stuck in conversation. Rose parked the car and we all got out.

"Back entrance. How convenient." Damon said as he came around to join Rose and I.

"That's the point. We can't all have little daylight rings." He flashed his ring at Rose when she said that. Well that explains the reason Damon can walk in the sunlight. The ring was kind of chunky though. Not exactly my type of jewelry.

"How do you know this Slater guy is even here?" Damon questioned. He didn't seem very trusting of Rose at the moment. There was a tense air between them.

"I called him. He's here. He's always here."

"Good." Damon used his vampire speed and slammed Rose into the concrete column of the parking garage. His hand pressed against her upper chest, holding her in place. "Just one thing. If you're setting me up in any way, I will rip your heart out and shove it down your throat. It's something I'm very good at." Damon threatened. Holy hell. He made threats sound like the sexiest thing on earth. Rose grabbed him and pushed him up against the car. She had him pinned on mere seconds and I just blinked mouth agape. How the hell did she get the upper hand?

"I'm older than you and stronger. Don't get on my bad side." Rose warned. Well that explains the whole upper hand thing. It was pretty cool that they got stronger with age. I think in the Twilight saga it was the newborns that had the upper hand. That was kind of stupid but oh well. She released him and began to walk in the direction of wherever we were going. "You can trust me." She confirmed. Rose put an arm around my shoulder as we made our way to meet her friend. Damon still looked a little grumpy as our group walked into a very bright and modern coffee shop. Rose slipped off her jacket while I took in the sights. The whole front side was made of glass. It was a busy place too, but I couldn't get over the aroma of coffee. It was heaven to my sensitive nose.

"Whoa. What about the sunlight?" Damon was just as confused by the openness of this shop as I was. If vampires couldn't be caught in UV rays then why would he be in this place. Rose didn't seem affected by the light either as we made our way further into the shop.

"Double paned and temped. UV rays can't penetrate. You see the appeal now?" Definitely appealing to vampires and humans alike. I just wanted some food and coffee.

"That and the free Wi-Fi." A guy walked around the counter and to us. He was mildly attractive and had a very nerdy atmosphere about him. Rose immediately embraced him. This must be her friend that knows about what we're up against.

"Hey, how are you?" Rose greeted in a very friendly manner. She seemed pretty happy to see him.

"Good. I saw you come, what are you doing here?" Slater inquired curiously. I wonder if he was a helping hand in the kidnapping scheme to save Rose and Trevor.

"Mmm, it's a long story but I want you to meet…" She started but her smart friend finished for her.

"Damon Salvatore. Turned 1864 in Mystic Falls by Katherine Pierce aka Katerina Petrova. So I take it I was right, what I told you about the tomb under the church was true?" Damon looked confused by Slater's brief summary of his start as a vampire. It was creepy. However, Slater looked a tad bit surprised when his attention fell on me.

"Yes. It was right. Thank you for the tip." Rose thanked easily. I shifted back and closer to Damon. My movement brought Slater's gaze to Damon.

"It's nice to meet you, maybe. What's going on Rose? Where's Trevor?" Slater questioned looking kind of worried.

"Trevor's dead. Elijah killed him." I answered to clear up the confusion he was facing.

"You're a Petrova doppelganger."

"Willow Petrova. The one and only. I'm not the every day doppelganger." I introduced with a dry smile. I hated how it was like we were a group and not individual people. Just because I was a copy in physical form didn't mean I was the same as Elena or Katherine. Wait a second. He said Katherine Pierce aka Katerina Petrova. So they're the same person. No wonder that name brought my ancestor to mind.

My stomach growled bringing a light blush to my face. I silently hoped that the vampires didn't here it. Although, I knew they did of course.

"Here have a donut." Slater brought me a couple of chocolate cake donuts from behind the counter before moving us over to a table next to the glass wall.

"Damon staked Elijah." Rose informed when we all sat down. I gratefully ate the donuts as they started to discuss.

"And you're sure Elijah's dead?"

"Beyond dead." Damon confirmed.

"Trevor was a good man; he helped me with my dissertation on sexual deviance in the Baroque period. I was schooling for my Psych PHD." Slater reminisce on times with Trevor. The way Rose and Slater talked about him made him seem less cruel for what he did.

"Slater's been in college since '74." Damn that's a long time. I could barely stand eight hours a day of school. However, with an eternity to become whatever you wanted and learn everything didn't seem as bad.

"When I was turned. I have 18 degrees, 3 masters and 4 PHD's." Slater kind of bragged.

"The point?" Damon asked, looking a tad bit annoyed.

"Exactly, I mean, what is the point? What should I be doing with my eternity? If you have an answer, please enlighten me." Slater came off as being arrogant with his response. To me it sounded like he was putting Damon down.

"We need your help. If someone wanted to get in touch with Klaus, how would you hook him up?" Rose finally got to the topic we came to discuss. I nibbled on the last piece of my donuts before licking my fingers clean which caught Damon's eye. His eyes were darkening with every flick of my tongue.

"Craigslist." Slater's reply threw us all off. It was truly so simple it seemed impossible.

"Really?" Damon asked in disbelief.

"Seriously. I respond to a personal ad to get sent to somebody who knows somebody who knows Elijah, who's dead and that's where my connection ends." That was a very interesting chain of communication. My gaze wandered to the window wall. I watched the cars and people go by. There was a man playing guitar. It was so lively. My attentions turned back on my group at the table.

"Here's what I don't get: Elijah moved around during the day, which means the originals knew the secret of the day ring. Now why would Klaus want to lift the curse of the sun and the moon?" Damon was digging deeper for information on the intentions of Klaus. He had a point. It was pointless to break a curse when there was already a solution to the curse.

"To keep the werewolves from lifting it. If a vampire breaks the sun curse then the werewolves are stuck with the curse of the moon forever and vice versa." It really didn't seem like a big deal to me.

"But werewolves are extinct." Rose countered.

"True. I've never seen one but rumor has it..." Slater started.

"Not such a rumor." Damon shot down their rumors that werewolves were extinct.

"Mystic Falls? God, I've got to visit this place. It sounds awesome." I let out a laugh at his response. He was definitely searching for every experience and knowledge he could get as a vampire. It was a nice lifestyle until it got you into trouble. With knowledge can come great pain and loss.

"Awesome doesn't even begin to describe it. Can we stop the curse from being broken at all?" Damon inquired. I personally wasn't fond of the town. Mostly because it harbored many secrets and my sister's side of the family.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if we make the moonstone useless, would it stop the curse from being broken?"

"Well, yeah, probably but why would you want to do that?" Slater didn't seem to grasp the danger the doppelgangers faced if the curse had any chance of being broken. I personally didn't want to be used in some curse breaking sacrifice.

"Tell me how." Damon demanded.

"You think I'm gonna help you figure out how to do something that will piss off an original? And keeping them from walking in the sun?" Slater was reluctant. Probably because Trevor was just killed by Elijah. Plus, Klaus was a greater and more cruel Original. Pissing him off wasn't the best idea, but dying was not on my to do list.

"You want to walk in the sun? I can make that happen if you help us." Oh nice Damon. He was playing smart by negotiating with Slater instead of threatening him. A whizzing sound reached my ears just before the window wall shattered. I ducked down with everyone else in the room to avoid injury, but a few shards of glass managed to get me. Rose was screaming the loudest in the commotion. It was then that I noticed her skin was burning. Someone had planned this. It wasn't normal for glass to shatter like that. Slater ran for shelter while Rose's face began to burn. Damon turned from looking outside and covered her with a jacket. He helped her get up but we had to move fast and she was crying in pain. He lifted her up bridal style as we fled the coffee shop. Damon carried her all the way to the car and placed her down in the back seat.

"You're gonna be okay." He assured her. I noticed that she was trembling under the jacket. I looked down at my arm and quickly pulled out the shards that were stuck there.

"I know."

"Who's behind that?" Damon questioned suspiciously, looking down at Rose.

"I don't know. Where is Slater?" she was panicky as she asked this.

"Iowa by now. Who the hell knows?" Damon's sarcasm was not appreciated.

"He's not behind this, he's a good guy, he wouldn't betray me." Rose was on the defensive. Damon had this accusing tone behind his words. Obviously this wasn't Slater's doing even if Damon didn't believe her.

"Who did it?" He questioned again as if she would know.

"It's Klaus, don't you understand? You don't know this man, we're dead, we're all dead." Her scared tone made shivers crawl up my spine. I actually felt fear of whatever was to come. She was crying and hysterical by now, but her face was healed.

"Come on Damon. She doesn't know." I started to walk around the car after Rose was shut in, but Damon stopped me.

"Are you okay, Wolfy?" He asked, voice laced with concern. I showed him my arm that had been sliced up.

"Not so much, but I'll live." I brushed aside the subject like it was nothing. However, Damon lifted his hand to his mouth, taking a nice bite of his hand. What the hell? He held the injured hand out to me. By now there was a pool of blood gathering in his palm.

"Drink it." He said, grabbing my hand and pulling me closer. I hesitated as he moved the bloodied hand closer to my lips. This was creepy. I cast one last look at those blue orbs before capturing the wound with my mouth. At first I wanted to pull back, but that inner animal craved the metallic taste. It was sweet almost as it moved across my tongue. When I felt the pain in my wounds go away I released his hand. "See? Not so bad."

He smirked at me but there was a affectionate feel to it. His eyes were pools of mixed emotion. They showed his frustration with the situation and I even saw an inner struggle playing on his heart strings. It seemed to confuse him how I accepted him so easily and he liked the fire in me. I was different than Elena for sure. I wouldn't go down without a fight and I would fight my hardest. Damon leaned down, closer to my face. His tongue slipped past those devilish lips and swiped across my bloodied lips. My breathing hitched and so I quickly took a step back. Rose was right there in the car and he was doing this. I let go of his hand before turning on my heel and heading for shotgun position. His brow furrowed for a moment before he made his way to the drivers seat. Rose was stressed. I was stressed with Damon's actions towards me. They were confusing and once we got back to the boarding house I would leave. I would stay safe with my pack somewhere in the forest. I need med to clear my head and the silence in the car was overwhelming. My hand instinctively reached out to turn on the radio. I was surprised when no one protested. I recognized the intro of 'Shadow of the day'. It was strangely fitting for the disappointed mood in the air. Today's mission hadn't been successful. If anything it just added more stress and more questions.

"I close both locks below the window. I close both blinds and turn away. Sometimes solutions aren't so simple. Sometimes good bye's the only way." I sung along to the song softly. It was a habit of mine. My mother had always loved to hear me sing when we went out in the car.

"You can sing?" Damon inquired, side glancing at me. I smiled, remembering the only reason people wanted to see me in Mystic Falls.

"Yeah, I used to perform at the grill when I came to visit." I answered. It was true though. Elena cheered for the team while I sung my heart out at the after parties. The grill had paid me pretty good money for my performances.

"Your voice is beautiful." Rose complimented making me blush. I turned and gave her a smile.

"Thank you. I try." I replied, gratitude lacing my tone. She had calmed down a little after her breakdown and now she was smiling softly back at me.

The drive went on in a silence between the three of us, except for the quiet murmur of the radio. My gaze was drawn outside the window where the world was tinted dark. The trees were a dark green blur as they passed and every now and then I saw cars and the houses. All I could think about was what I would do when we got back. I had to leave. I couldn't stay in Mystic Falls. My humanity needed to go and I had almost accomplished that goal until the kidnapping. That brought me to Damon and Damon drew back that humanity. My aura was seeking his and it clung to that connection it found. So easily he had stopped me from running earlier and this time I won't stop. I'll make an alibi for my whereabouts and just take my pack and never come back. I snapped out my thoughts when I felt someone nudge me. It was Damon of course. We were back at the house. It was almost time to go. I hopped out of the SUV and immediately got knocked down. There was fur and tongues licking my face. I struggled away from my overly excited pack. They had missed me terribly. I sat up and ran my hands through their soft fur. Moose and his tri-colored self was a beautiful wolf. His fur ranged from white to brown and black. He was the goofy yet wisest of the two. Moose understood some of the most amazing things. He reminded me of my younger brother who had disappeared around the time my mother passed. Koda was much more aggressive and wild. He was more like my baby brother who had also disappeared. He always pitched a fit when things didn't go his way. Damon held out a helping hand to pull me out off the ground and away from the furry masses of my pack. Moose and Koda both barked in protest.

"Hey, I'm gonna go to Elena's house. I need to let Jenna and Jer know that I'm here. Plus I need my clothes."

"Are you sure? I mean Klaus is out there." My attention turned to Rose when she asked this. She looked concerned for my safety and that made me feel a little touched. I bit my lip and glanced up at Damon. My colorful gaze met his icy blue eyes. He looked frustrated with me. I pouted out my bottom lip and those eyes darkened suggestively.

"I'm going whether you like it or not Damon." I declared. "I'll see you guys later or tomorrow." With that I left. Moose and Koda followed after me. I was relieved when I heard Damon and Rose enter the house. He was annoyed with the failure of today and with me ditching them. All he wanted was answers and all we got was more questions and drama. I would go to Aunt Jenna's for a visit to pack up some clothes but after that I was booking it out of here. I got to the safety of the trees and began to walk further into them. The Salvatore house began to disappear from view as I continued walking. Moose and Koda were at my flank as we started our journey. Trust me, I would have shifted but I doubt Aunt Jenna would want her niece showing up naked on her door step.

I took a sniff of the air and easily pin pointed the location of Elena's house. I hadn't been there in a long while. Truthfully I was worried about how Jenna would react to my sudden reappearance. I was expecting a lecture, a search for drugs, and maybe some tears. She was a caring aunt but she had been one to judge me easily for everything people said about me. She had even been a junkie before the death of Elena's parents. I really hope that Jeremy will be at the house. He was my favorite sibling. Jer had always taken up the roll of an older brother even though he was my younger brother. He would never let me down. Finally I saw the back yard of the Gilbert house come into view. I turned to the loyal wolves behind me.

"I'll be back and after that we'll leave." I informed them. Moose walked a little closer looking up at me with his warm brown eyes.

"You're fine with that? Just leaving like that, no goodbyes." He asked. Moose was the one that always wanted to make sure that I knew what I was doing. I nodded my head in response as a cool breeze blew by us.

"No goodbyes, just like last time." I smiled at him even though I felt dread fill the pit of my stomach. Did I really want to leave? Yes of course. If I stayed it only meant more trouble and suffering. When I came out of my musings I was at the back door. I took a deep breath to settle my nerves before raising my hand to knock. There were footsteps coming close and soon the door swung open.

"Willow? Is that you?" Jenna stood there stunned in the doorway. Somehow after gaping like a fish she found the words she wanted to use. Slowly I nodded allowing her to grasp the fact that I had returned home after all these months, but this wasn't my home at all. It never felt that way to me. It most likely never will. My breath escaped me when I was brought up into a bone crushing hug. My body was small and malnourished from my time in the forest. I wrapped my arms around her hesitantly, not used to the feeling of being hugged. I patted her back.

"Uh, can't breathe here." I wheezed, struggling to get some much needed air into my lungs. Jenna finally released me a little but her hands still gripped my arms.

"Come inside. I'm sure you haven't had a good meal in a while." She moved to the side allowing me entrance into the home I had visited over the years. Elena and I were supposed to share a room when I moved in with them after my mother's death. However, I had tossed my stuff into her closet and bottom drawers only to sleep on the couch. I couldn't really sneak over to the Lockwoods when I came to stay. Tyler had become a little bitter when I stopped visiting. We reached the island in the kitchen I had learned to cook in. My mother was great in all truth, but I took care of my brothers and only cooked boxed foods. Father had taught me how to cook. It was one of the only times he wasn't devoted to Elena and Jeremy. I leaned forward on my elbows over the island as Aunt Jenna searched through the fridge. She came out with Chinese takeout leftovers and I nodded my approval.

"So, Jenna how's it been? Taking care of Elena and Jeremy, I mean." I questioned watching her dish out the food on a plate before sticking it in the microwave.

"It's been tough, but manageable. Even tougher without you. We missed you." Her tone was sincere but I couldn't take it to heart. That would only push my humanity to the top and that urge to stay with Damon would grow.

"I was fine out there on my own. I can take care of myself."

The microwave went off, signaling that the food was done. She turned back to get the food before bringing over the plate and a fork. It was my favorite Chinese dish, general chicken with broccoli and rice. I dug into the food quickly thinking that I should get out of here sooner rather than later.

"You're not going to leave again. You need to go back to school." Her voice was firm as she said this. I glared at her as I chewed on my food. She didn't look too happy when she returned my glare.

"I'll leave if I want to Jenna. Anyway I need to go get on some of my clothes." I dismissed myself after finishing up the food in my mouth. It settled warmly in my stomach. I pushed myself up off the island and offered a dry smile before heading upstairs to Elena's room. I found my old backpacks in her closet and set them on the bed. I dug into the drawers and pulled out everything I needed from clothes to my piercings. I left some behind just incase I did come back. I stripped down out of the make shift outfit to change into some of my own clothes. When I finished I was dressed in a tank top and some skinny jeans. My bags were packed and ready to go so I pulled them up onto my back. The side window slid open with ease and I slipped out, jumping down to the ground. My bare feet loved the feel of the grass blades between my toes. Without hesitation I ran for the forest. My feet pushed me past the trees and past my pack who quickly followed behind me. Trees and underbrush blurred into green and brown blobs as I passed by. I didn't know where I was going or why but when I finally came to a stop I realized where I was. The Salvatore boarding house stood before me in all of its grand presence. It was truly a beautiful house. The warm brown colors flowing together perfectly with landscape surrounding it. I dropped my bags to the ground. Why was I drawn here? Why was I drawn to Damon? These questions were feeling my head as I walked towards the house. I gestured for my pack to stay in place when they started to follow. I only needed to say goodbye, but I couldn't see him. There was an open window where his room was located. I shifted my aura a little but I had to concentrate completely on this task. Why? Well I was attempting to shift with a form that wasn't particularly close to my soul. When I turned to look and see if it worked I saw two gloriously feathered wings. A smile graced my lips at my accomplishment. With that I tested flapping them and found myself at the window and off the ground. I shifted them away before slipping into the room. My eyes spotted some paper and a pen laying on the nightstand. Silently my feet padded over to the furniture and I began to write a short goodbye in the black ink. However, my ears were picking up on him and Rose downstairs. I stopped in my writing when I heard Rose speak while walking into the living room where I could hear a fire crackling.

"I'm sorry about today. I didn't know that was gonna happen." Rose apologized and in my opinion she had no reason to be sorry. She had done her best to help him find the answers. It didn't really matter to me that it was a complete failure.

"I believe you." His answer was simple. It wasn't forgiving or a thank you for her effort.

"I wish we could save Elena. I know that you want to." she said and I felt my heart drop down into my stomach. What about me? I felt a little sad. Well really sad because I felt that burning sensation as tears threatened to fall. Why was I letting my humanity get the best of me? It was making me feel like a little emotional wreck of a girl and I was not the emotional wreck kind of girl. Knowing full well what would happen I couldn't stop myself from listening. I clenched Damon's pen in my hand as I stood there trying to breathe and calm myself. In and out. Just breathe. I told myself these simple instructions.

"And I will." Damon answered. I knew that everyone loved her, but it hurt to hear those words fall from his lips. I knew now that I would never be able to compete with her. I was worthless and I was only getting in the way. I stood there listening unable to move, stuck in a jealous haze as their conversation continued. I was much to lost in my spiraling emotions to hear his next words "I'll save them both."

"You remind me of Trevor." Rose declared out of the blue.

"Why? Why him?" he asked in exasperated confusion.

"Because he always talked a big game, he was always working on an angle but underneath it all, he was the best friend anyone could hope for. " Rose elaborated as she walked over to Damon her footsteps barely making a sound.

"And where did that get him?"

"Dead and my loyalty to him almost got me dead too." Rose softly said as Damon poured her a drink.

"To friendship." they took a drink from their glasses and I sighed dejectedly. I would never have that. Everyone tossed me to the side for Elena and she wasn't even that nice. Why her? What did she have that I lacked? I was so overwhelmed with my sadness and confusion that my aura darkened. It was not bright at all. Instead it was a black cherry color, because in my jealousy there was anger. I continued to eavesdrop anyway ignoring the inevitable fact that I would lose every ounce of humanity by doing so. But isn't that what I wanted. The truth was hard and I had wanted to push away my humanity for a long time. I just didn't expect to lose it like this. To lose it from a person who brought it out the most.

"You're right to fight it," Rose paused before continuing, " the way you feel about her."

"And why's that? " Damon asked, blankly.

"Because if you want to survive, you need to not care about anyone." Rose explained as she walked across the room and took a seat. It was true. Caring only became a burden and eventually ruined everything.

"Caring gets you dead, huh?" he wondered.

"It might just be time to turn the switch off on your emotions." Rose suggested.

"I will if you will." Damon stated as he looked at the Rose. Rose set down her glass and I heard their lips mesh together in a desperate kiss. My heart clenched painfully when it continued. It wasn't going to stop as she released a pleasured gasp. My shaking hands released the pen letting it drop to the floor. I turned walking numbly towards the window I had climbed in through. I leaped to the ground shifting in midair. My massive paws left imprints in the ground below me. Everything began to blur together as I took off into the forest and past my pack. I ran and kept running the trees and bushes snagging in my fur when I pushed through them. The air in my lungs escaped at fast rate but just as quickly they filled with air once more. I was so numb. My humanity had been dragged down into the oblivion of darkness inside myself. Only animalistic instinct remained and with it I could scent the small and large creatures wandering to their homes with the disappearance of the sun. I resisted the urge to tear into one. I could also sense the wolves chasing me down. Koda and Moose were hot on my trail. Their pants were labored and hard as they struggled to keep up. They were slower than me. I could run like this for days.

I felt the ground disappear beneath my feet and my heart stopped in that moment. I was terrified of heights and in my hazed over state of mind I had ran right off of one. A howl escaped my throat as I plummeted down the side of the cliff. A rock slammed into me and my body rolled off of it falling further down and into the icy waters below.

**Hope you all liked it. Read, Follow, Favorite, Review. These are all things loyal readers should do. Please and thank you lovelies. I can only write so much on such a short stock of reviews.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Next Chapter. Still hungry for reviews. I need your opinions to help influence this story. Reviews can be the deciding factor in which guy Willow will overall end up with. Klaus? Elijah? Damon? I don't quite know yet. **

**xXbriannaXx:Wow, i really like this fic, I like that her and Damon are making a relationship (: please update soon ? (:**  
**xoxo Brii c;**

**GingerDepphead:really good update soon!:)**

**Thanks again for the reviews, follows, and favorites. I love it.**

XXX Elena's P.O.V

"I wanted to know the truth and I got it. It's not just me that's in danger. It's Willow, it's Caroline and it's Tyler and it's Bonnie. They're all part of breaking the curse. I can't blame anyone else anymore because it's not because you came into town or because you and I fell in love. That's not why everyone that I love is in danger. It's because of me, everything is because of me." I confessed through my tears as I faced Stefan, his eyes were red from holding back his emotions. I choked on my sobs as I buried my face into his shoulder, his arms wrapping my shaking form in a comforting embrace. His lips pressed into my hair as he held me there, giving a soothing kiss. We stayed like that on the front porch for a while. We held each other for comfort as I let out all my frustrations. The ones caused by my being a doppelganger and the rest caused by my younger half-sister being dragged into this mess. I had tortured her as a child not yet understanding anything to do with the supernatural. I had turned her away and anyone that tried to be there for her I had drove away. She was my father's mistake and I just wanted her to go away, but when she did I felt nothing but guilt and regret.

When she came back after her mother's death I had continued my facade of hating her. She was so alone. No one ever spoke to her, except for Tyler. He had always stuck up for her until she gave up on visiting, too overwhelmed by the loneliness it brought. Afterwards he changed, he became the jock that nearly everyone felt was too cocky and too much of a bully. Oh why did I have to be like that to her? I sniffled, trying to stop crying as Stefan's phone started to ring. I stepped back letting him pick it up.

"Hello?" he asked as he put the phone to his ear. I stood there trying not to eavesdrop when his brow furrowed and he growled. "You what?" I looked at him with confusion written clear across my face. He held up his hand signaling me to wait as whoever was on the other end continued talking. Stefan sighed in frustration as he hung up the phone.

"What happened?" I questioned with a confused grimace.

"Willow's gone."

"What do you mean Willow's gone?" my voice was small, panic settling in as I wrapped my arms around myself. He placed his hands gently on my cheeks as he stared at my face contemplating what exactly he should tell me. "I want the truth Stefan." I warned as he looked down, his hands dropping to his sides.

"Damon and Rose. They lost her. Damon thinks she ran when she was supposed to be visiting Jenna. We all alienated her. She's hurt Elena." Stefan explained as he peeked up at me, slightly scared that I might overreact. I grabbed his arm and pulled him off the porch and out into the yard. I had to find her. I had to explain everything to her before it was too late. I had to tell her about our family. That we still had parents, granted our mother was kind of a bitchy vampire. We got in his car and drove off to the boarding house.

XXX Willow's P.O.V

There was darkness everywhere. What had happened again? I remember seeing Moose and Koda looking down at me before everything went black. I couldn't have been out too long because it was still night. I rolled my neck to take in my surroundings. I was on the bank of a creek. When I finally looked up to the sounds of Moose and Koda barking and keening at the edge of the cliff they were pacing back and forth, charging at the ledge before coming to a halt as they snapped their teeth in frustration. I let out a whine as I pushed myself up to my paws. There was pain shooting up my spine like an electric shock. It almost sent me back to the pebbled surface beneath me. Bones were definitely broken and causing some bleeding on the inside. A sticky wet feeling lined the undercoat of my fur, a sign that there were open wounds decorating my skin. My body felt like it weighed a ton as I tried to take a few steps. After a few tries I was able to stumble further away from the water.

"Willow, are you okay?" Koda called down to me. I ignored his question. That numbness was still coursing throughout my body. My heart was frozen and almost as icy as the dark waters I had plunged into. A few stumbles later and I trudged away from my pack, limping with each step that I took away from them. They howled and yelped in a desperate attempt to stop me as I continued ignoring them. I made my way through the trees, the barks of my pack fading into the night. I had no direction anymore; I just limped away from everything. My chest still ached from the mere fact that I was indeed alone. Always and so dreadfully alone. I let out a yelp of shock as I fell suddenly. The ground had once again given out beneath my paws. I closed my eyes tightly as my body rolled down stone stairs. What the hell? Why are their stone stairs leading into the ground in the first place? Once the rolling stopped I growled irritably lifting myself up as best I could. My injuries were aching worse than before as I drug myself across the dirt. I was in some sort of underground cavern. I looked around the darkness I was in trying to find any clue as to where I was since there was no way I would make my way back up those stairs. I saw nothing but stone until a stone with a witch star caught my attention. Oh yippy! I try to run away from everything and end up in some witchy cavern.

I pushed myself up again, heading over to the wall opposite the symbol. I heaved a sigh as I plopped down into the leaves and dirt littering the floor. I wrapped my tail under my body, laying my head on the length of my front legs and closed my eyes. Perfectly fine with taking a nap. At least then the pain would fade away like the humanity inside of me had.

XXX Elena's P.O.V

We had searched everywhere and found not even the slightest trace of Willow. Well except for the bags left behind in their yard. Stefan had called off the search for the night, deciding that it would be better to look for her when everyone was rested. Damon had been surprisingly distraught over her disappearance. I sighed heading to my bed to try to get some sleep. I pulled the covers up over me and lay there dosing off. I must have fallen asleep at some point because a noise caused me to wake. I sat up rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. I waited to see something for a moment before dismissing the noise and turning onto my side to fall back asleep. I heard it again and sat up with a jolt, brushing off the blanket before heading over to the door to look for the source. I walked around searching when I heard someone behind me. I turned and we both gasped. There stood a naked Alaric with a bowl of cereal in his hands.

"Elena." he addressed as he lowered the bowl to cover himself better, only his boxer briefs keeping him covered. I recovered from my slight shock at the sound of his voice.

"I heard something." I explained and Alaric chuckled nervously. Just then Aunt Jenna walked up wearing nothing but Alaric's shirt. She ran her hand through her hair at the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"That was us. I'm sorry." Jenna apologized and I grimaced awkwardly.

"We didn't think anyone else was up." Alaric confessed.

"But here you are." Jenna continued awkwardly.

"We were just-" Alaric sighed. "Chunky Monkey? Well I'm naked so I'm gonna go." he said uncomfortably, lifting up the bowl before scurrying off to Jenna's room. I started to walk away to avoid the awkwardness of I just caught someone in the middle of the act talk but Jenna's voice stopped me.

"I'm really really sorry." she apologized again and I turned, waving my hand dismissively.

"It's okay, Jenna. Don't worry about it." I said nonchalantly only giving a small chuckle, not really worried about the situation. My mind was worrying about much more serious situations like the fact that Willow has yet to be found.

"I know he's been staying over a lot. Are you sure it's okay?" she looked worried as if she'd been caught doing something wrong as she questioned me.

"Seems like things are good." I offered, biting my lip in the awkward tension.

"They are extremely good." Jenna grinned and I died a little from way too much information. I laughed lightly while smiling. Well at least she was happy.

"Then I'm extremely okay with that." I said before heading back into my bedroom. I sighed laying on the bed pulling my blanket back up and over me. I rolled onto my side, frustrated but happy for Jenna. Willow, where are you? I heaved a sigh and closed my eyes for some much needed sleep.

XXX Willow P.O.V

Someone was coming towards the cavern I had made a den in for the night. I could hear their feet shuffling in the coat of nature over the ground. I was thankful for the shadows cast by the covering over the pit I was lying in. There were splotches of light too, illuminating the once pitch black cavern. My ears twitched in anticipation as the rustling and cracking of leaves moved closer within earshot. I looked up slowly as their shoes made soft clicks against the stone steps I had fallen down earlier, which reminds me I should probably check my injuries after they leave. It was hard to breath which meant my ribs were still in bad shape. Well hopefully they don't notice I'm here. I'm not in the mood for a fight. I watched as too very familiar people walked through the arch. I was thankful that my fur was black and for the leaves and twigs that hid me well in the shadows of the cavern when Damon turned to look at Stefan. The feeling in my chest returned, the rage. The hurt and loneliness all swelled up and I had to focus on not fleeing the site. Not only that but running would be futile considering that most of my bones were fractured. So I bit my tongue, not giving in to the emotions, refusing to let the humanity that lingered inside of me out. I watched as Damon and Stefan approached the symbol I had seen on the cavern wall the night before. Apparently it was some kind of stone blocking a tunnel.

"Let's do it." Damon's voice was soft and determined as he addressed Stefan. I cast them both a furious glare, just wishing they'd hurry up and leave me alone. They walked over to the witchy stone, preparing to move it Damon counting down as they lifted the stone away from the opening. They moved it over to the wall beside the tunnel, a loud bang echoing off of the walls making me wince and shut my eyes. Ow that definitely was not a pleasant sound. They walked to the entrance of the tunnel, Damon leaning against it as they looked inside. However they didn't dare enter. Why?

"Please, come on in. There's plenty of room for all of us." I heard Elena; at least I think that's Elena. They locked Elena in a tomb? Why would they do such a thing? I was about to confront them but Damon's voice stopped any movement. Oh that voice. The human side of me swooned lovingly as it made an appearance.

"I'd rather poke my eyes out." he said irritably obviously not very happy with whom I had thought to have been my sister. But Damon would never be so cruel to say search a thing to Elena. His tone was full of distaste and dislike.

"Hmm, they're such pretty eyes." she commented softly, seductively. I could hear her making her way closer to the entrance, dragging herself against the stone walls she was walking past.

"We're here for the moonstone." Stefan stated simply leaning himself up against the other side of the archway leading into the tunnel. Didn't Elijah want the moonstone? He had questioned and even compelled my sister about it.

"Feel like tossing it over?" Damon's voice was taunting and rude to this girl. I watched him closely as his aura rolled off of him in waves. He was very unhappy in this girl's presence. He resented her. She grunted in response, placing her hand against the stone wall as she looked at Damon. I could see her now and prayed that she didn't see me. She was much sexier in comparison to my sister. She had a much more mature look about her. Could this be Katherine?

"Tell you what, you get your little witch to hocus pocus me out of here and you can have whatever you want." she bargained her voice hoarse and dry. She sounded sickly in my opinion. Maybe she had the plague. But then again Rose had mentioned her which means she's old. A vampire? Maybe so but what is the purpose of locking her away.

"I thought you liked it in here. Nice and safe where Klaus can't get to you." Stefan replied smartly as he watched her and I grinned. Whelp it seems like he is kind of badass sometimes. Oh that stupid human side again. Why couldn't I just smother it all away and live off of raw animal instinct?

"I've had time to reconsider." she answered as she stumbled slightly in her fidgeting. She rolled her eyes over to Damon and I froze. Did she see me? My breath caught in my throat as I lowered my head to my paws, trying my best to go unnoticed. However, I failed. Her eyes watched me closely, curiously. Though they turned back up to Damon and I almost sighed in relief.

"Meaning you're hungry." he replied, enjoying her suffering greatly.

"I'm starving, Damon and dirty but above all, I'm bored. At least running from Klaus wasn't boring so here's the deal: you get me out of here, you get the moonstone and I'll disappear from Mystic Falls forever. Let me know what you decide. And while you're at it maybe I could try Stefan's diet and eat that wolf." she stated in return walking forward, rolling her eyes in response to Damon and Stefan's taunting. She stopped before the archway, standing in front of them as her gaze fell back on me. She lifted the moonstone before them and made her stumbling way back into the depths of the tunnels. I sat there with wide eyes, panic settling in. That bitch had ratted me out! Damon and Stefan both turned to look back at me in shock. I pushed myself up quickly going to make a run for it.

Damon stood in my path, however. I glared heatedly at him. My soothed rage burning again as I looked into those bright blue depths. I snarled viciously, the pain from my injuries only making my rage grow. I snapped my teeth at him as he raised his hands in surrender. He meant no harm as he stepped forward but I lunged for his throat anyway. I felt his flesh break under the pressure of my jaws. His blood rushed out, seeping into the fur on my chin and neck. Stefan pulled me away, his arms wrapped tightly around my torso. Oh my ribs. I snapped and struggled furiously to escape his grasp but he had me from behind and his arms were like iron. He pressed me down against the ground, his hands gripping my scruff harshly. I keened in pain as I futilely tried to push myself back off the ground. I watched with frantic eyes as Damon sat up, hand clutching his wound. He didn't look too happy either but he got up walking over to where Stefan had me pinned.

"Well we found you at least." he stated as he knelt down. He gripped my snout making sure to wrap his hand around it so I couldn't snap at him. Damon lifted my gaze up to meet his and I growled lowly in my chest. "Calm down, Willow. I need you to turn back now." he said softly his eyes dilating slightly as I stared into them. I felt some sort of pull and all my rage and anger burnt out. Though the burning feeling in my skin didn't leave as my fur faded to human features. I was so hot even though I lay naked in front of them. I closed my eyes and settled for the darkness of my mind, rather than facing the reason I had run away in the first place. I heard the ruffling of cloth and then felt someone shifting me around as they dressed me in a shirt. Someone lifted me up into their arms, cradling my form tightly against their chest.

"Is she okay?" Stefan's voice questioned through my unconsciousness. He was close by but he was definitely not carrying me. I could hear everything and feel everything as if I was awake but I wasn't.

"She's burning up. We need to go see Elena and get her some clothes too." Damon's chest rumbled along with his voice as I pressed closer to him. Hm, I could listen to him talk all day. Without my rage only the human side of me was left and she did enjoy Damon. I sighed contently as he walked, lulling me back to sleep. I must have fallen into a deeper sleep because I awoke to Elena's shocked gasp and Stefan's voice.

"Hey, can we talk?" Stefan asked sounding serious and concerned as usual. I groaned as I rolled my head closer to Damon's chest. I blinked open my eyes slowly looking up at him. Ow, my bones cracked as I shifted in his grasp. Blushing slightly when I noticed I was wearing Damon's shirt.

"Why? Is she okay?" Elena questioned as I turned to her. I gave her a lazy smile and she smiled back sadly. Oh how it hurt to move at all.

"We went to see Katherine. Well we found Willow too." Damon answered as he glanced down at me. I turned and gave him a glare, still quite upset as the hurt swelled up in my chest once more. Oh boy, this was going to be interesting.

"Come on in." Elena said softly as she opened the door, taking a step back to let us in. Damon followed Elena into the living room where she gestured him to set me down on the couch. Whoa, man it's been a while since I've sat on this couch. I grimaced looking around at the house I had visited many times in my childhood. Hm, not really the kind of house to party in. Damon released me from his hold and I groaned as my injuries made contact with the couch cushions. Whelp it definitely didn't get any softer in my absence. I closed my eyes, feeling a little dizzy as I lay there on the couch listening to Damon and Stefan fill Elena in on what had gone down at the tomb. Well at least now I knew that I was the doppelganger of that evil little bitch. On the Brightside I didn't get too much of her bitchiness and controlling attitude.

I shifted on the couch, feeling overly hot and trying to turn over onto my side to get some fresher, cooler air.

"You don't believe her, do you?" Elena questioned as she leaned against the archway to the kitchen. I bit my lip feeling another wave of dizziness roll over. Oh I was definitely gonna be sick.

"No, of course not. We just want the moonstone." Damon shot back a speedy reply at Elena. I slowly pushed myself up on the couch so my back was against the arm. I pulled my knees to my chest burying my head in my arms as I laid them over my knees, breathing deeply to calm my aching head.

"According to Rose's friend Slater, there's a way to destroy the spell that Klaus wants to break." Stefan elaborated after Damon. It would be nice if I understood exactly what was going on; sadly none of them took the time to include me in anything.

"No spell, no doppelganger sacrifice, ergo you both live." Damon said, his cocky and playful personality making me scowl. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep down the raw emotions that they had all torn up.

"How do you destroy it?" Elena wondered. Doubting their schemes to save her life. Oh and mine. Don't forget mine.

"By releasing it from the moonstone" Stefan answered between sighs as he leaned on his arms over the counter. Yay, we all live. Whoopie.

"How do you guys even know this is gonna work?" I asked meekly from my place on the couch. Kind of happy I beat Elena to her own question. I of course was feeling left out in this whole situation even though I was one of the key players in the situation.

"Cause we have crafty witches on our side." Damon answered turning his gaze on me. I scowled at him and his brow furrowed in confusion. Whelp obviously he's blind to reason.

"You discussed it with Bonnie." Elena drew our attention back to her and I was kind of relieved that Damon's blue eyes weren't watching me so closely. I turned to look down at my injuries, observing the cuts that littered my skin.

"She agreed to do anything she could to help us. Though we might need Willow's help too." Stefan answered and my head snapped up a little too quickly at the sound of my name.

"Why should I help any of you?" I growled as I cast a glare at all three of them. Stefan's brow furrowed giving him that brooding look as his green gaze watched me. Elena thankfully stole the attention once again as she mentioned that Katherine chick.

"It's Katherine who has the moonstone. She's not gonna give it to you." Elena retorted smartly to Damon and Stefan.

"We're gonna get it from her." Stefan countered, looking at my sister as she walked closer. I was internally biting their heads off in my imagination. How dare they think that I'm just going to help them with whatever powers I possess? I mean c'mon all they ever do is leave me off to the side. It's as if they don't want anyone to know I exist.

"Well, what he means to say is we will pry it from her cold dead hand if we have to." Damon's voice called my attention back to him and I sighed I had to do something before I lost my mind. I stood up as Stefan started to explain Bonnie's involvement, I was a little unbalanced but I managed to get around the couch. I stumbled forward into the kitchen, getting their attention drawn to me. Damon stepped forward to help me, but I put my hand up stopping him. I reached the island and leaned against it.

"Bonnie just needs to find a way to release the seal long enough for us to get in, get the moonstone and get out in time for her to return it. Willow's help would make it easier. Safer." Stefan said staring me down. I looked down feeling uncomfortable considering I only had Damon's shirt on. I peeked up at him and smiled at the sight of his toned torso. Mmmmhmm that's where it's at.

"Whoa, seems like you guys have it already planned out." Elena stated in sarcastic shock. I could hear that she was upset with them just by the tone of her voice. She was very independent after all. I kind of liked when Damon saved me, but I could definitely whoop his ass if it came down to it.

"Yep, we're awesome" Damon said in a playful victory voice. I held back a laugh trying not to jostle my cracked bones. Oh that reminds me I should probably ask Elena to take me to the hospital.

"Except for one thing. I don't want you to do it." Elena said making all of us turn to her in confusion. Well no one was going to get hurt, right? Little life-saver Elena wouldn't have anyone's death on her conscience if they went through with the plan.

"What are you talking about? Elena, we don't have a choice." Stefan argued.

"What about Klaus?" Elena countered and I drew a blank. Okay, who's Klaus? Sounds like some kind of English stud. Rawr. I grinned at the thought, catching Damon's attention. He mouthed "what?" but I shook my head dismissively.

"We'll find him right after we get the moonstone." Stefan answered Elena as I looked back at her. Her aura was reaching out through the room. She felt hurt, worried, and most of all scared. Though she put on her toughest attitude and showed it to all of us. Boy was she strong. Well sometimes.

"Is that before or after he kills everyone that I care about, including the two of you." Elena questioned, her temper coming out as she looked at a very stunned Damon. I glanced at him and felt that heart dropping feeling at the look on his face. He seemed shocked that she cared about him. His aura radiated a confused happiness. I looked down at the island suddenly finding it oh so interesting.

"Elena, if we can dispel the moonstone, we can save your life. We can save Willow's life." Stefan argued with reason and I turned giving him a soft smile, since he actually included me in the life-needs-saving group.

"I know, everybody keeps saying that." Elena commented as she stood up from the island leaving us all kind of confused as she walked out of the kitchen. Whelp, what can I say? Damon and Stefan turned their attention to me and I felt truly uncomfortable.

"What?" I questioned looking from one brother to the other questioningly.

"You attacked me." Damon stated with a taunting glare in those eyes of his.

"So what? You slept with Rose while I was in the other room and you compelled me. I think I'm the only one that has any right to complain." I argued, not at all liking that he was making me out to be the bad guy. Stefan's mouth dropped open in shock and I nearly died of laughter. I had shocked a vampire. Little ol' me?

"I didn't know you were there and you went all wolfy on me. You ruined that shirt." He said leaning forward, towering over me. I looked down slightly coming face to face with his chest and my breath caught in my throat. Oh my, that's a beautiful chest. I shook my head snapping myself out of my daze as I barred my fangs at Damon.

"All of you don't even give a rat's ass about whether I live. It's always Elena. Don't think I didn't hear your conversation with Rose." I shot back, my voice cracked slightly. I stood up about to storm away when the world started to spin and I found myself pressed against Damon's bare chest.

"She's burning up." Damon told Stefan as he shifted me into a better position in his arms. I glared up at him as he turned on his heel taking me upstairs to Elena's room. He laid me on her bed and walked over to Elena's conjoined bathroom. I sighed looking around at her naturally girly room. Grrr, I hated her room. I remembered how annoyed I used to get when father wouldn't let me sleep on the couch instead of in her. I heard the patter of water pouring down on the shower tub. Um, what the hell are you doing Damon?

"Damon, what are you doing?" I questioned as I glanced over at the bathroom. He came back into the room, still very shirtless while he walked over to me. Really I did need to get a hold of myself. He lifted me back up into his arms and I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. He really needed to stop picking me up. He ignored my question just carrying me to the bathroom. He better not think he's gonna see me naked that easily ever again. "Damon." I whined causing a mischievous smirk to touch his lips. He took a step into the shower and I startled in shock as the freezing water hit my heated skin. What the hell just happened? I let out a squeal as I wrapped my arms around Damon's neck pulling myself closer to his warmth which was quickly disappearing under the stream of water pouring down on us.

"Easy wolfy. You'll thank me later." he said teasingly as he settled us down under the steady stream. I was stuck on his lap, his hands gripping my hips to keep me from running off. I blushed when I noticed his blue orbs watching me, a playful glint in them. His smirk made me uncomfortable. I could tell he was enjoying my torture as I peeked up at him from under the soaked mess of my hair.

"What are you looking at?" I snapped as his gaze roamed over me. It was then that I noticed his shirt had slicked to every curve of my body that it covered. It was also then that I remembered just how naked I was under that shirt.

"I'm just admiring the view." he answered as he rubbed circles on my hips. I blushed and swiped at his wandering fingers. His smirk grew and I only grew more nervous.

"I'm just gonna go." I stated moving to get out of the shower but his hands tightened on my hips. I turned to him with a glare but he lifted his hands off of me in surrender. I stood up, getting out of the shower and glancing around the bathroom for a towel. I found one and grabbed it drying my hair out first while Damon stepped out of the shower behind me. "Why was it so important to drag me into some cold ass shower?" I grumbled as Damon grabbed a towel for himself. He grinned and moved closer to me, I turned looking up at him with a glare.

"You had a high fever. I can't necessarily let you die of a fever, now can I wolfy?" he teased with a smile. I grinned and snapped my fangs at him playfully. He lifted his hand poking my nose softly. "Cute, real cute." he commented as he leaned forward invading my personal space with his bare chested self. Um, what exactly was I about to say? Oh yea, he's drop dead sexy. I looked down and walked around him brushing him slightly as I passed by. I felt his hand grip my wrist tugging me back to him.

"What now?" I questioned as I looked back at him. He sighed as he tossed the towel back over to the rack. He glanced back at me, watching me. He walked forward a little so he was closer to me, making me feel much smaller.

"You little wolfy need my blood." he stated as if that was normal. Um, what? I backed away from him only stopping when his grip on my wrist tightened. His eyes were deep and fierce as he lifted his free hand to his mouth, biting into his wrist. I shook my head in disgust as he held it out for me. My eyes looked to him then his wrist and back again. "Just drink it. It's not that bad and you've had it before." he coaxed with reason. His blood really wasn't that bad, but listening to him meant that I wasn't upset anymore. That I was fine with what he had done. I shook my head once more turning and tugging my wrist from his grasp.

With that I found myself pressed up against the bathroom wall, his chest pressed up against mine. My face flushed at his closeness as I peeked up at him. He leaned forward capturing my lips with his. I gasped, my eyes widening in shock while his closed as he deepened the kiss, his hands roaming up my sides until they held my head gently in their grasp, yet firm enough to keep me from pulling away. His tongued pried open my lips and I felt the warm blood seep into my mouth. I closed my eyes leaning up into him to return the kiss. I ran my hands up his bare stomach feeling the contours of his abs as we kissed. He softly ran his tongue across my lips as he pulled back leaving me a panting mess as I opened my eyes meeting his sea blue gaze. We watched each other silently for a few moments, just taking in what had happened and catching our breath. When I came to my senses I looked away, ashamed that I had given in to him after what he had done with Rose. He ran his hand along my cheek drawing my attention back to him. His eyes were dark, vulnerable, and most of all concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, playfulness gone. I gave him a soft smile in answer before stepping away from him and heading for Elena's room. He followed me silently, his aura wrapping around mine apologetically. I walked over to Elena's dresser kneeling down to reach the bottom one. I was thankful I had left a few things behind. I sighed pulling open the drawer mulling over Damon's kiss in my head. It was amazing, but what did it mean? Most likely nothing, I guess. "I'm sorry." his voice was strained as if his emotions were getting the best of him. I looked up at him in confusion, opening my mouth to ask "why", but he beat me to it. "For ignoring you, for Rose, for everything. I just..." he stopped himself and I grabbed myself some clothing before standing up to face him.

"It's fine Damon. Just remember to include me. Okay?" I reassured him as I reached up my free hand and ran my fingers along his jaw line. A smile graced his lips as he leaned into my touch. I pulled away after a moment and walked over to the bed laying the clothes out to look them over. Black lingerie, dark skinny jeans, and a black tank top. I turned to look back at him gesturing for him to turn away so I could change. He gave me a playful pout and turned away dramatically crossing his arms. I smiled at his antics and pulled off his soaked shirt tossing it at the back of his head. He caught it easily and peeked over his shoulder at me.

"Oh, throwing stuff at me now? I see how it is." He faked an upset tone and I gave a small laugh as he joined in. I calmed myself from our little banter and pulled on my undergarments before tugging on the skinny jeans. I struggled with getting them to pull up against my wet skin when I felt Damon's hands on my hips helping me pull them up. I felt the much familiar rush of heat to my cheeks at his touch. Oh boy, Damon would definitely be the end of me. I felt his fingers trail along my hips until they reached around to my front; he fumbled with my zipper and button before settling his hands back on my hips, his breath ghosting across my neck and shoulders warmly. I sighed contently leaning back against him, bare back to his bare chest. "Hmm, black thong. Who are you trying to impress?" he teased and I turned around in his arms, rolling my eyes at him.

"I don't have to dress to impress. My body does that all on its own." I countered easily with a playful smile as I peeked up at him from under my long dark lashes. He smirked and leaned down as if he might kiss me but stopped barely an inch away from my lips.

"I have to agree with that statement, but you find me irresistible. You just want to kiss me right here and now." His blue eyes glinted with amusement as I actually found myself pressing my lips against his silencing anymore of our banter. I smiled against his lips as he returned the kiss. We pulled apart slowly guilty smiles lifting the corners of our lips, like two students caught kissing under the bleachers. I turned grabbing my tank top and pulling it on to break up our little moment. He sighed still stuck in his soaked jeans as we walked downstairs to meet up with Stefan in the foyer. Stefan's brow furrowed at the sight of a soaked Damon and a grinning me.

"I don't even wanna know. However, we need to get back to the house and talk to Bonnie." Stefan stated as he headed to open the door and leave. I turned to Damon with a pout.

"You guys are taking me with you right?" I said giving Damon an evil look that promised torture if he dared say no. Stefan looked to him for an answer unsure as to whether they should actually include me in their plan. I sighed grabbing a hold of one hand from each of the brothers. I pulled them with me out the door, both looking at each other in puzzlement. Um, well that's one way to make sure I'm included. We walked out to the car. The car ride was pretty short and uneventful. Much to quiet for my taste. As soon as we reached the Boarding House I saw Moose and Koda come running out from the woods towards the car. I jumped out of the car running over to my pack giving those hugs and kisses.

"Oh I missed you guys so much. I'm sorry I ran off." I cooed as I nuzzled my nose into their fur. They barked and yipped in approval of my apology while my fingers ran through their fur.

"Hey, c'mon we have a plan to discuss." Stefan called from the porch and I was inside in seconds. I was so excited about getting to be included in the plan that I was bouncing as I followed them into the living room, slightly depressed when I found that Damon had a new set of clothes on. I sat down on the floor with Moose and Koda at my side as we waited for Bonnie to arrive. A knock at the door had Stefan disappear from the room only to return a few moments later with Bonnie and Jeremy. I hopped up running over to my half-brother.

"Oh my god Jeremy you grew up." I squealed in delight as I wrapped him up in a big hug. He chuckled his boyish chuckle and wrapped his arms around me, returning the hug. He grinned down at me bringing back memories from our childhood.

"Hey, you're still short as ever." he teased and I frowned at him.

"Well that wasn't very nice." I scowled and turned to look over at Bonnie. She smiled at me sheepishly, knowing full well she had been one of the people that had bullied me during my childhood. "Hello witchy." I ground out pulling away from my brother and crossing my arms as I stared her down evilly.

"I know we had a bad past and everything but can't we call it truce. I mean I could help you with figuring out your powers and everything." she bargained and I was sold in that instant. Really, I finally had someone who could help me learn and study my powers aside from transforming. I lifted my hand out to her and she placed hers in mine as we shook hands.

"Deal. Now let's get down to business." I stated walking over to stand beside Damon who was grinning down at me. I nudged him in the side with my elbow and he faked a hurt expression.

"I might be able to lower the tomb spell long enough for you to get in there and grab the moonstone from Katherine." Bonnie explained to Stefan who had started discussing the plan during Damon and I's joking. I caught sight of Jeremy's little side glances at Bonnie and bit my lip to keep down my smile.

"How? It took both you and your grams last time and look what happened to her." Jeremy questioned Bonnie, worried for her safety I guess.

"I'm well aware of what happened. I've learn a few new things. Plus I may have Willow's help. Right?" she countered Jeremy's concern and I nodded my head as they all glanced over to me briefly.

"Sure, I'm pretty sure a druid and a witch can work together." I stated simply.

"Bonnie…" Jer warned softly though we all dismissed his input as Bonnie turned her gaze over to Stefan.

"How will you get it?" she fired off to Stefan who was standing a little ways off from Damon and me.

"She hasn't been feeding. She's weaker, we're not." Stefan replied as Bonnie looked over at Damon who was gently shaking a crystal glass of blood. I rolled my eyes as I huffed and crossed my arms. They were only banking on her starvation. Not the brightest of ideas.

"You wouldn't be underestimating her, would you?" Bonnie asked.

"It's a plan. Is it perfect? What plan is?" Damon retorted with a scoff.

"Well ya know you'll have my help and I'm sure I could give her a good butt kicking. After all she ratted me out, that bitch." I stated as I walked over by Jeremy, leaning against the couch while everyone gave me curious stares. Oh of course look at me weird when I wanna do something big just because I'm short. Grrr, I bit my tongue to keep from venting as Jeremy stole the attention with his bold plan.

"Let me do it. I've got my ring, I could get in, get out and no spell necessary." Jeremy suggested with confidence as we all gave him the curious stare. Um, no let's not get you killed today buddy. And what's so important about a ring?

"Gee thanks 16 years old child. Why didn't we think about that? Why are you even here?" Damon said sarcastically with annoyance dripping in his tone. Whoa, sexy Damon calm down my friend. I grinned as many inappropriate thoughts popped up in my head. Mmmhmm, Damon all night long.

"Maybe I can help better the plan. Do you have anything that belongs to Katherine?" Bonnie offered drawing the attention off of poor Jeremy. I patted his back and gave him thumbs up sign with a smile. He rolled his eyes at me and I pursed my lips. Well then be that way.

Damon looked to Stefan as Bonnie finished. Stefan left for a moment and we all waited patiently, only fidgeting a little in the awkward silence.

"This belonged to Katherine. I found it with her things after I thought she was dead but it was hers." Stefan stated as he held out an old picture of my look alike person. I caught Damon's slightly depressed eye contact between him and Stefan. Maybe, they weren't all that over her. He gave Katherine's portrait to Bonnie. She took it from his grasp and put it in a bowl sitting on one of the many tables in the house. I watched in puzzlement as she put a few drops of water on the photo after dipping her fingers into a glass on the table. It burned. I stared, jaw dropping open when she closed her eyes and started to mumble a chant in Latin. I could feel her aura drawing power from the water as we watched silently.

"What will this do?" Damon questioned for all of us. I stepped closer to him running my fingers over his replacement shirt. Well at least I wasn't being distracted by that of so sexy body anymore. He took my hand in his and held it softly when I noticed Jeremy's fidgeting. He was staring at us, brow furrowed with a parchment rolled up in his hands while he was sitting there on the steps that lead down into the living room. Well I'm guessing no one really likes Damon and I being close. I thought as Jeremy gave me a very disapproving glance.

"I can turn the metal into ash, blow the ashes on her and it will incapacitate her for a minute or two. Long enough for you to get the stone and get out." she answered while looking down at the burning photo. I caught sight of blood starting to drip down from her nose. I was about to say something but she quickly swiped it away before anyone else could see. The photo burned as I left the room heading to get some coffee or something. Jeez all I've had is a cup of coffee and Damon's blood over the past few days. Whoa, new celebrity diet The Vampire Diet only for those who can handle the sight of blood and black coffee. I laughed silently to myself as I made myself a cup of warm black coffee and headed back to the living room. When I got there Bonnie and Jeremy were at the table talking softly. I decided to block it out for their privacy's sake while Bonnie poured the ashes of Katherine's photo out onto the wooden table.

"Still gotta get the torches." Stefan said walking into the room from some side door, Damon trailing right behind him as I glanced up at them both. Why would we need torches? Oh boy one of these days I'm gonna have to have a serious talk with all of them.

"Alaric's stake gun is in my trunk. Bonnie?" Damon informed as he picked up a jacket. My brows furrowed in confusion as I tried to remember who Alaric was. Oh, maybe I should just ask Damon.

"Go ahead. I'm almost done." Bonnie assured and I set my coffee cup down trailing after Stefan and Damon. Though I was still close enough to overhear Bonnie and Jeremy's new discussion.

"What are you doing? You're not strong enough." Jeremy warned as I walked out the house with Damon. What the hell? She's a witch she should be pretty damned strong. Not only that but her grandma one hell of a witch.

"I'll be fine."

"You could get hurt."

"And Elena could die. I'll be fine. I promise." Bonnie retorted and I frowned. Again with the leaving me out of the category of lives that need to be saved.

"Hey, you okay?" Damon questioned as he started the car, glancing over at me with those oh so blue eyes. I gave him a small smile in reply. Before remembering that I did indeed need to get some answers.

"Who's Alaric?" I questioned while folding my bare feet under me in the car seat. He gave me a puzzled look before he had an ahah-moment remembering that I wasn't here to get to know everyone.

"He's a friend. A vampire-hunter and a good drinking buddy." he answered causing my eyes to widen slightly. Vampire hunters? Seriously this is not Van Halen. I leaned against the car door, my head on the window. I was staring off into the woods when I saw Elijah's face appear in the glass. I shook it off though thinking it was just a side effect of not eating.

"So Elena and you?" I questioned and he frowned for a moment, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.

"It's nothing. If it ever was something it's not anything now. I'm protecting her, because she's my friend and Stefan loves her." he explained and I beamed at his honesty as we drove behind Stefan's car to the church ruins.

"You're my buddy, right?" I asked my voice vulnerable as I glanced over at him. He grinned and nodded.

"Of course." he responded as the car pulled to a stop in the forest. I smiled as I got out of Damon's Camaro. He walked beside me carrying a few bags with him as we traveled deeper into the trees to find the actual location of the church ruins. Stefan had just barely beaten us to the site and the Bonnie showed up with an old book in her grasp.

"Sorry I'm late. I had to grab the grimoire from home." she apologized as she walked up. Where was Jeremy? I wondered while looking around to see if I could spot him.

"Bonnie where's Jer?" I asked with a tad bit of concern when I caught his scent in the area.

"Jeremy couldn't take the pressure, huh?" Damon said snidely still sore about him trying to change up their plan and risk Elena taking her revenge out on all of us. Oh I did not want to see Elena throw a tantrum as flashbacks from our childhood plagued my mind. She was not pretty when she was angry.

"He said he'd be here." Bonnie answered softly as she headed down into the tomb with Stefan. Did I mention that Stefan has a nice butt? Oh well he does. Though I definitely don't like him too much. He's way too cliché. I got lost in my thoughts for a moment until Damon's phone drew me back out. He pulled it from his pocket and put it up to his ear.

"Not a good time Rose." he said exaggerating his annoyance with her calling him. Lucky for me I could actually hear his conversation with her since I wasn't rooms away.

"Don't be angry with me." she said softly.

"Why, what did you do?" he questioned as his brow furrowed a frown gracing his lips. I pouted and poked his stomach softly to get his attention. He looked at me, his eyes were serious and not so playful which caused my expression to fall.

"You need to get to Richmond immediately." she informed.

"Tell me." he commanded in his usual worried Damon voice. Though she hung up on him. We walked back out to his Camaro speed in our steps. As soon as we got in he was speeding off to Richmond. OH boy.

"Why did you run away?" he questioned needing a distraction. I frowned slightly and fiddled with my hands.

"Because I couldn't take the guilt." I answered my voice small.

"What guilt?"

"I killed them." my voice was barely a whisper but I knew Damon could hear me. His eyes were running over me with confusion. He ran his hand over my legs softly, silently urging me to just get everything out. I took a couple of deep breaths to compose myself as I looked out the window while the car kept going. "I can't talk about it, not yet at least." I said softly and he nodded in understanding.

I watched as the sights of buildings and houses appeared, signaling that we had finally reached Richmond. I looked over at Damon with a smile, maybe he was really my friend now. I mean we had kissed so we were at least friends. He did agree to being my buddy too. The Camaro pulled to a stop and I glanced over to see where exactly we were. It was an apartment complex an old fancy looking brick building at that. He got out of the car first, walking around to my door and opening it for me.

"Oh a gentleman are we?" I teased with a grin as I stepped out of his car, placing my bare feet onto the sidewalk. He smirked and nudged my side as he lead me into the apartment building's garage. The floor was cool against my bare feet as we walked through the garage to the steps leading up to the apartments. He lead the way of course considering I wasn't one for leading anything other than my pack. The walls were mostly brick with areas that had been painted over before. I personally liked it. Elena and Rose's voices caught my attention and I finally figured out why we were here. Elena was sneaking around and trying to find another way to save everybody. I scowled as Damon and I ended up at a set of worn double doors leading into the apartment that I had heard Elena in. Damon burst through the door first, flashing over to Elena who was gulping down a glass of water. Uh oh, he wasn't too happy with her. When she turned around she came face to face with an angry Damon.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned, his voice tight. I walked a little ways into the room just for safety measures. I was close enough to the door to run if Elena and Damon had a little fight or if anyone decided to attack.

"What are you doing here?" Elena shot back, surprised that he was standing in front of her. Well, I'm guessing she wasn't necessarily expecting us to be here. She looked over to Rose accusingly and I grinned. "You called him?" she asked, clearly not expecting that Rose would do such a thing.

"Two points to the backstabber." I mocked Rose which earned me a glare from her. She walked towards Elena when I noticed a little black haired prostitute looking chick standing off behind the computers. Um, who the hell is that? She's ugly.

"I'm sorry Elena." Rose apologized when she turned her gaze back on Elena. I could tell that she felt bad for going behind both Damon and Elena's back. Ew, I don't like the sound of Damon and Elena, makes me think of when she ran to Stefan instead of him. Well more Damon for me then I guess.

"You said that you understood." Elena stated still not over the fact that she had indeed been backstabbed by pixie vampire. I looked over towards the doors when I heard the sound of someone pulling into the garage. Their presence putting me on edge. Oh what have we gotten ourselves into?

"She lied." Damon bit out drawing both mine and Elena's gaze back to him. He was clearly frustrated with her for going behind his back and putting herself in danger when he and Stefan had already formulated a pretty good plan.

The girl who had been watching silently from behind the computers walked forward towards Damon and I sent her a glare as she ran her eyes over him. She definitely gave off that slut impression.

"Damon Salvatore." she appraised with a lusty smile, though I let out a soft laugh when his aura radiated annoyance with her in his presence. Whelp, at least she's not getting any of my buddy. I walked a little closer to Damon staring down the girl with a cold glare.

"Get rid of her." he commanded in annoyance which caused Rose to take a hold of the girl's arm as she tugged her away into another room. The girl clearly not believing she had come face to face with Damon exclaiming "no way" as she was taken away.

"Come on, we're leaving." Damon stated with authority in his tone while a watery eyed Elena glared at him in defiance. The tension in the air was thick as I bit my lip, waiting for the big explosion between them.

"No." Elena and I could hear the emotions finding their way into her voice. She was definitely upset that Damon and Stefan were making all the decisions for her right now.

"Oh come on sis, let's just go this is stupid." I whined my nerves still a little shot from the sounds I heard coming from the garage. I could still hear people moving around down there and I couldn't exactly tell if they were friend or foe.

"I said we're leaving." Damon said darkly daring her to challenge him again. She swallowed the lump in her throat that was full of emotions. She really looked like she was about to cry but I couldn't really help out. She just needed to listen to Damon and I. Whoa, now I like the sound of that.

" I'm not going with you."

"You don't get to make decisions anymore." he ground out as he used what height he had to intimidate her. I fidgeted uneasily from all the aura they had surrounding mine. It was uncomfortable and it was smothering my own.

"When have I ever made a decision? You and Stefan do that for me now this, this is my decision." Elena shot back and I knew it was the truth. I started to get the feeling that Damon did still love her and I looked down at the suddenly interesting floor. Um, well this isn't a very happy situation.

"Whose gonna save your life while you're out making decisions?" At these words I knew that he did indeed still love my sister. Maybe he had started to have some feelings for me but they were still very much there for Elena.

"You're not listening to me, Damon. I don't want to be saved. Not if it means that Klaus is gonna kill every single person that I love." Elena said this and I snapped my head up looking at her in shock. Well then.

"Get your ass out the door before I throw you over my shoulder and carry you out myself. " his tone was angry and his aura frustrated. I knew Elena's words had hit him deeply. She cared and he was confused. He caught her arm and she immediately pulled it out from his grasp. I took a few calming breaths to keep down the emotions I felt swelling up in my own throat.

"No!" she threw a punch at him and my jaw dropped open in shock. However, he caught her fist easily moving closer to her as he restrained her. Her breaths came out in pants as she looked up at him.

"Don't ever do that again." he chastised his voice soft as he gazed down into her brown doe eyes. He released her and turned to face me. I had wrapped my arms around myself, closing my eyes as I struggled with my control, though when his arms wrapped me in his warm embrace I felt safe. I felt in control again as his aura mixed with mine. I opened my color wheel like eyes and gazed up into his icy blue orbs. He smiled reassuringly down at me and I knew he could sense I was losing control during his interaction with Elena. I looked over to Elena who was casting another disapproving glare at Damon and I.

"Jeez, Elena you truly are selfish whether you want to sacrifice yourself for everyone or not." I growled out and she sighed walking off to find Rose and that chick. I turned my gaze back to Damon and smiled. "Well you should definitely go erase that little stalker chick's memory so we can get out of here. Then maybe I can spend the night again."

"Oh clingy are we?" he teased with his taunting smirk and I poked him in the chest playfully. He turned leaving me as Rose and Elena came back out from the bedroom Rose had placed the chick in. We waited patiently for a few moments Rose and Elena taking a seat in the living room while I waited in the hall as Damon did his mind compulsion thing, which reminds me I still have to get back at him for using that on me. I could here someone coming up the stairs and took a few steps towards the others.

"Time to go. Alice is soundly sleeping and won't remember a moment of this horrible stupid day." Damon said in annoyance as he came out of the bedroom just then distracting me from the people I heard approaching. I was just about to warn them when three men burst into the apartment. We all turned to face them, Elena and Rose standing up. I let out a warning growl as my aura shifted slightly and I barred my fangs at them.

"We're here to meet the doppelganger." The leader of the three guys declared as he walked further into the room. "Or should I say doppelgangers?" he rephrased when he glanced over at me.

"Thank you for coming." Elena said as she walked forward but Damon stopped her catching her arm in a tight grasp.

"I will break your arm." Damon threatened Elena as I backed away from the leader who actually stood pretty close to me. He looked over to the leader. "There is nothing here for you." he said nonchalantly and just then the guy furthest back fell to the ground. I winced at the sound of his neck snapping. I looked back up and saw Elijah. My breath caught in my throat as his gaze fell on me. I just barely caught sight of Rose fleeing from the apartment as Elijah stepped forward getting closer to the two men who still stood staring back at him in shock. Elijah's gaze went from the leader to the other guy before running to me. I bit my lip taking a step back in fear. Oh I could tell he wasn't exactly too happy.

As a matter of fact we all were staring in shock. He was supposed to be dead. What the hell?

"I killed you. You were dead." Damon accused in disbelief. I glanced over seeing that Elena was still kept protectively behind him and I kind of felt the need for that protection too, but I was paralyzed to the spot.

"For centuries now." Elijah countered drawing my attention back to him. He glanced over at the leader. "Who are you?" he questioned softly.

"Who are you?" the leader fired back.

"I'm Elijah." he responded and I legit couldn't help but internally swoon at his accent. He might want to sacrifice me but damn was he so damn sexy. Sorry buddy but I got a thing for this vampire too. I thought as I glanced back worriedly at Damon.

"We were gonna bring her to you for Klaus. She's the doppelganger. I don't know how she exists but she does. Klaus would want to see her, to see them I mean." the leader explained as Elijah stared me down. This guy was so dead, he just didn't know it yet. I could tell from the darkness of Elijah's aura that had filled out around the room. Oh boy, Elijah's gaze on me had me fidgeting uncomfortably. It was like boring into my soul.

"Does anyone else know that you're here?" he questioned blankly.

"No."

"Well, then you have been incredibly helpful." Elijah stated as he looked between the two guys his gaze finally off of me. Within barely a second his hands were buried in their chest and my mouth dropped open in shock as he tore out their hearts dumping them on the floor as I took a step back. He flashed right in front of me though and I couldn't breath as I looked up at him. His gaze was curious and their was an emotion that I couldn't pin point in his eyes. I heard Damon prepare to fight and Elijah turned his gaze over to him and Elena. Then he was gone and I let out the breath I had been holding in.

Damon was standing in front of me in seconds, his hands holding my cheeks so I was staring up at him. His blue eyes were darkened with concern and I actually felt a little relieved that he had came to make sure I was okay. I was shaking slightly as Damon turned his gaze over to Elena.

"Let's get you home." he stated, taking my hand in his as we left. I was kind of numb as I mulled over the Elijah's fascination with me. He had barely paid any attention to Elena. When we got to Damon's car she climbed in the backseat as I got shotgun. Damon's hand found it's way back to mine as we drove home silently. All of us were pretty dumbfounded by Elijah's actions. He hadn't attacked us but he had killed the men trying to take us to him for Klaus. I sighed as we pulled up to Elena's house. I stayed put in the car as Damon walked Elena up to the house. I could easily hear their conversation as they walked.

"Thank you for bringing me home." Elena said softly.

"Well, your ride left you. I didn't want to leave you stranded." Damon retorted and I smiled, he definitely might have screwed Rose's brains out but he was not a fan at the moment. On the Brightside I didn't have to worry about her anymore.

"She was just scared. She didn't mean to run." Elena defended and I scowled. Of course she meant to run. What other reason would she have for fleeing out of the apartment like a bat out of hell?

"Yes she did. She's been running for 500 years." Damon accused as they stood on the porch together. I didn't necessarily like it but I had to put up with it. I mean really where was Stefan when you needed him to whisk away Elena?

"I can't believe Elijah is alive. Why do you think he killed those two vampires and just let us go?" Elena wondered openly. I knew she was still trying to piece together exactly what Damon and I were relationship wise. She definitely didn't like whatever we are and even if she didn't want to admit it she was jealous.

"If I had a dollar for every time some evil vampire surprised me…" Damon trailed off as Elena started towards the door but he caught her arm. "What you did today was incredibly stupid." Damon commented and I sighed. Well he wasn't going to kiss her, thank the druid lords.

"Actually the only thing that was stupid was that I got caught. I don't question why you and Stefan and everyone else tries so hard to save me. You shouldn't question why I would try to save all of you." she argued as she pulled Damon's hand off her arm. He was stunned for a second but turned to look at Jeremy as he opened the door. "Damon, good night, okay?"

"What?" Damon spat at the sight of Jeremy interrupting them.

"It's Stefan." Jeremy delivered the bad news. Oh jeez, I growled in my chest as I got out of the car tired of being cramped up in there. I walked over to them briskly and crossed my arms over my chest when I got there. I arrived just as Jer finished explaining everything to a frantic Elena.

"Damon take Elena to see Stefan. You need to see what's going on exactly. I'm gonna go with my pack for a little while." they all turned to me in shock as I ordered Damon around. I gave him a smile and shrugged my shoulders. "You need to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid." I stated as I turned to Elena with a judging glare. Damon stepped closer to me reaching out and trailing his fingers along my cheek.

"Don't do anything stupid yourself." he said as he leaned in close, his eyes serious. Though they widened in shock when I leaned up pressing a kiss to his cheek. I ran off before he could say anything, transforming into my wolf form as I got out into the forest life. I shook out my fur as I padded along the cool underbrush. When I was closer to the Salvatore Boarding House I howled into the night. I grinned when the sound of my pack joined in. They were a little ways off and I rushed through the forest to their den.

"Where have you been?" Koda questioned as I walked in to the area, catching sight of him and Moose laying in their makeshift beds.

"Busy, very busy." I answered simply plopping down next to Moose. Moose shifted as I lay curled up at his side. "Everything's getting hectic. That Original Elijah is still very much alive. Elena is on a suicide mission and well Damon and I kissed." I summed up most of the days events as I cast a glance over to Koda.

"You what?" they both growled in disapproval. I sighed and laid my head down on my front legs, staring off at the trees in annoyance.

"It happened okay. I like him and I've got the hots for Elijah too. There's just something about them both that I can't resist." I defended not liking that even my own pack was judging me for liking the bad guys. Well the made out to be bad guys. I shuddered at the memories of Elijah ripping out the hearts of the men. Oh my, that was terribly nasty.

"You definitely need some food. You getting delusional from lack there of. We'll hunt tomorrow if you're not to busy with the vampire business." Moose said as he gave my ear an affectionate nip. "Now go to sleep. You need that too."

I huffed and closed my eyes fading off into my own mind as I fell into a deep sleep, quite shaken by Elijah's appearance yet happy to have my pack with me for the night. Oh well, I'll spend the night with Damon some other time. If I'm still feeling forgiving that is.

**Read, Review, Follow. That is if you love this story and want me to keep writing it. 3**


	4. Chapter 4

**Lovelies I'm back for another chapter, but I'm still wanting review cookies. I'm so happy about the support I've gotten so far. Thank you all so very very much for supporting me. Read and enjoy :)**

**flazzy cullen : i love your story! i can't wait for klaus! i really want to see willow and klaus together**

**Thanks for the review. Right now it seems like Willow and Klaus are going to be Killow if no one else disagrees with flazzy cullen. Gah review for your favorite ship.**

I felt the heat of the sun rays land on my face. I huffed as I stood up on all fours, stretching out my joints. I looked around at my pack, Moose was still my side, lying on his back now which exposed his white underbelly and Koda was plopped up against a tree not too far from us. I sighed and shook out my fur. Whelp I should probably go see how everything went after I left last night. I leaned down as I walked by Koda giving his ear an affectionate lick. He groaned softly rolling over before settling back down. I really did miss being with them constantly. I turned around facing the direction of Elena's house. Well time to get moving. I took off through the trees, leaving my pack to sleep in for now. I felt a rush of adrenaline as I ran dodging the tree trunks and brushes as my legs pushed me further. I really loved this part of being a wolf. I loved my panther form too, but I hadn't ever allowed a full transformation. It was an agile form and useful but it didn't really fit the terrain. I shook my head to clear out those memories and trotted up behind the Elena's house. I shifted into my human form and trotted up the back steps that lead up to the back door. I lifted my hand knocking on the door's wooden surface. The door opened and I came face to face with Elena. When she noticed I was kind of naked she ushered me in and got a blanket from the living room to cover me up. I took the blanket from her, wrapping it around myself.

"C'mon Bonnie's upstairs." She informed and I followed behind her as we made our way through the house and up to Elena's room. I walked into the room casting a small smile over to Bonnie. I made my way over to the dresser and rummaged through the bottom drawer for my clothes. I sighed when I saw my little packet of piercings fall out of a clump of clothes as I grabbed a shirt. I really did miss my snake bites and earrings. But I'll put those back in later I guess. "Willow we need to talk." Elena's voice called my attention over to her as I finished grabbing some jeans and underwear. I pushed the drawer back in and stood up, gripping the towel to my chest and my clothes in the other hand. I made my way into the bathroom to change into my new set of clothes.

"About what?" I questioned while dropping the blanket to the floor and glancing myself over in the mirror. I pulled on my lingerie and jeans before walking back out into Elena's room. She and Bonnie were seated on the bed waiting patiently for my full attention as I pulled on my new tank top. I stood and crossed my arms as I looked at both of them with a glare. "Well?" I urged them to continue with whatever it was we had to talk about.

"Our parents were never really our parents. We have a mother and she's a vampire. My father is Uncle John and well your father is probably where you get the druid stuff from."

"So we're not related by father. Instead were related by some vampire chick?" I questioned just to confirm her information. I sat down on the edge of the bed next to Bonnie. Well this is just confusing.

"Yes and I had Stefan and Bonnie see if they could dig up any information about druids. Bonnie found some writings about them in the grimoire." Elena stated so that Bonnie could start explaining some things about my heritage from my father's side. I glanced over to Bonnie and she took a deep breath, preparing herself for her explanation.

"Well Stefan once mentioned some Celtic druids migrating to Mystic Falls and Emily wrote about them in her grimoire. I was reading over it and found that there was only one line of druids that actually possessed the power to shape shift. The others were more like witches. You're descended from the line called Wildwalkers." She explained and I grimaced in thought. Hadn't Bonnie's grandmother always told me stories of those Wildwalkers when I visited?

"I've heard of them before from your grandmother." I commented as I stood up and paced around in thought for a moment. Elena and Bonnie were silent as I processed the information given to me by them. "That's all you found?" I questioned and she nodded quickly. She seemed a little nervous and I scowled at her. She was definitely hiding something.

I would figure out exactly what she was hiding eventually and so I sighed taking a seat back on the bed as Elena stood.

Elena walked over to her bureau examining the moonstone closely. She turned it over in her hands before turning to look back at Bonnie and I. "Now that you've got this back, what are you gonna do with it?" Elena asked smartly. I'm guessing she was still pretty sore about us ruining her little plan. Oh well. I laid back on the bed looking up to the ceiling in boredom. I was really just gonna take in whatever information I could today.

"Right now, it's what is binding the Sun and the Moon Curse. If I can figure out a way to remove the spell from the stone, the stone becomes useless."

"And according to Katherine, Klaus becomes vengeful." Elena retorted and I sat up with a huff.

"He won't find out." I snapped back defending the plan. Elena rolled her eyes at me but Bonnie had my back.

"Maybe. If he finds out." Bonnie answered surely but she seemed a little off considering Elena was so upset with all of us for stopping her plan. I crossed my arms and cast Elena the coldest glare I could muster up. She really needed to stop trying to make these little life and death deals. In case she didn't notice they involved me too.

"Bonnie, can't this wait? Stefan is stuck in the tomb with Katherine. We've got to get him out." Elena exclaimed and I knew Bonnie was about to snap, her aura flared in anger.

"Stefan wants me to focus on this!" Bonnie retorted, raising her voice and I smiled. You go Bonnie!

"Don't listen to him. He thinks that he's protecting me, but he's wrong." Elena countered her voice soft because she knew Jeremy was still home. Well it's not like he didn't know what was going on.

"I'm taking Stefan's side with this one. We're not gonna let you get used in some creepy sacrifice ritual." Bonnie returned and I grimaced. I was gonna be used in that creepy ritual too!

"You have to quit going on suicide missions. In case you haven't noticed my life is on the line too and I can't have you dragging me into deals just to save everyone you care about. You forget that I don't have any true relationships with anyone in this town." I vented and both Elena and Bonnie looked at me in shock. They were stunned by my outburst but I just had to get it out. If I didn't I knew I'd lose myself again. Just then the door opened and in walked Jeremy. I glanced over as Bonnie took the moonstone from Elena's hand.

"What are you guys arguing about?" Jer asked obviously overhearing our slightly raised voices. Well we all failed at keeping it down.

"We're not arguing about anything." Bonnie said as Elena glanced down at her with an annoyed look.

"Yep." I backed up Bonnie, still feeling grateful to her for finding out some stuff about my background. She slid the moonstone into her little brown bag and shared a look with Jeremy. They were up to something. Definitely suspicious.

"I need a coffee. Wanna come with?" Bonnie stood and I nodded as I followed her out of the room, heading downstairs. We went to the kitchen and poured ourselves a nice hot cup of coffee. I moaned softly in approval as I sipped down the black coffee and nibbled on a muffin. Finally I get some form of food. I really need to work eating into my supernatural schedule.

We were silent as we waited and not a moment too soon we heard Elena hurry down the stairs. She was trying to be sneaky but failed miserably. She had her keys in her hands as we walked into the foyer. Guilty!

"Where are you going?" Bonnie and I questioned in sync as we stood in front of the staircase to block Elena's path.

"Um, to see Stefan." Elena answered and I heard her heart beating faster as she lied. Did I mention Elena is a terrible liar?

"You're lying." Bonnie stated accusingly.

"No, I'm not." Elena denied while walking further down the steps. Even her facial expressions were giving away the fact that she was lying by this point. Really she was risking my life again.

"Really? Tell your face." Bonnie said getting a little snappy and I heard Jeremy exit his room. Well this might end up being a cat fight.

"Are you serious?" Elena questioned and I knew she was super angry on the inside. Jeremy came walking down the stairs and I looked up at him. He was carrying Bonnie's bag and glancing through it.

"She took the moonstone." he confirmed and Elena looked back in confusion.

"How did you...?" Elena wondered but Bonnie cut her off.

"We tested you, and you failed."

"Klaus killed Katherine's entire family just because she crossed him. I can't let that happen." Elena laughed dryly not at all amused by Bonnie and Jeremy's antics to show that she was indeed still on her little suicide mission. Bonnie and stepped to the side and I moved with her. What was she doing? Elena was gonna get me killed too if she left. Elena looked confused for a moment but walked down the stairs to the door while Jeremy took a seat on the stairs. She opened it and went to leave but something blocked her. It reminded me of a mime she moved her hands along the barrier that was obviously trapping her inside the house. Elena turned to look at us obviously confused about what was going on.

"What did you do?" she questioned her face stunned.

"It's for the best, Elena." Bonnie answered softly. Bonnie and I turned to glance up at Jeremy who was smiling boyishly. I really loved his antics and how he lightened the situations. Blood or not he was definitely a brother to me. Elena continued to try and break the barrier scowling with frustration. I left the amusing sight of Elena trying to break out of the house and headed up to her bedroom. I kind of needed a shower anyway. I stripped down and slipped into the shower. I turned on the hot water letting it sooth my aching muscles. I sighed enjoying the warmth of the water pouring down onto my skin. I grabbed some of Elena's shampoo and scrubbed at my hair gingerly since it was kind of tangled from my night out in the woods. Not to mention I haven't really had time to pamper myself these past few days. I rinsed out my hair tilting my head back and letting the water do its job before moving on to the rest of my body. When I finished I stepped back out of the shower and grabbed a towel to dry myself off.

It was a quick process and afterwards I pulled on my clothes that I had worn earlier. They weren't dirty yet so. I walked over to the mirror and grabbed a brush off the bathroom sink. I ran it through my hair a few times, working out all of the knots before heading back downstairs. When I came down into the living room I met a very grumpy Elena. Well she was just a tad bit sore about being stuck inside of the house. My stomach growled and I strolled of into the kitchen to grab a sandwich. As I was walking back with my food I heard a car drive up in front of the house. A moment later as I took a bite off the sandwich Damon came strolling in.

"You should really lock your door." He commented and paused before teasing the grumpy Elena who was pouting on the couch. "Oh, come on, pouty. At least give me two points for ingenuity."

"Do you think this is funny?" She shot back. Damon's blue gaze fell on me and I gave him a grin, which he returned as I walked over to him. He was leaning against the arch way and when I stood at his side he lightly wrapped his arms around me.

"Yes Elena. I find hilarity in the lengths that I have to go to repeatedly save your life." He replied sarcastically while rolling his eyes at Elena. I pulled back from Damon standing next to him and nibbling away at my sandwich. I had food and I wasn't gonna waste it. Elena was not amused in the slightest by Damon's teasing.

"What does Stefan say about this?"

"We had a good laugh. " Damon answered in dry humor.

"And what did he say about Elijah still being alive?" Elena asked with a scoff and we turned our attention to her.

He pushed himself off the archway beam walking over to sit on the couch beside Elena. He placed his arm behind her head and leaned back into the couch. I glared at them when I realized something must have happened during my absence last night. They must of had a moment of some sort. I huffed which brought Damon's attention back to me. He mouthed "what" and I just shook my head sadly.

"Yeah, that... I didn't tell him." he said with a small tsk sound. Shrugging off the information he probably should've told his brother.

"Why not?"

"Well A: he can't do anything about it; and B: ... what I just said." Damon said and his sexy sarcasm made me melt. He was so cute when he was being an ass. I bit my lip and kept down a grin. Damon looked over the back of the couch in search for something or someone. "Where is Bonnie?" he questioned and I noticed that she wasn't in the house just as I heard Damon walking up behind me.

"I thought she was meeting you." Jeremy said as he walked out past me into the room.

"No, she's on moonstone duty and I'm on Elena patrol." Damon answered with a drawl and a tick in his voice as Jeremy stood next to the couch, slightly blocking my view of Damon.

"And who's on Tyler Lockwood and the full moon?" Jer questioned and my eyes widened in shock. I held my hand to my mouth as I actually gasped in shock. Every turned around to look at me. Tyler's a werewolf? My best friend of my childhood was a supernatural too. I struggled to catch my breath and ran my hands through my hair.

"He's a werewolf?" I questioned and they all nodded.

"Well Vampire Barbie asked me if she could handle it, and I said, why not? Figured if she screwed up, he'll bite her and then I'll be rid of two of my problems." Damon lightened the situation I was facing. I gave him a soft thankful smile.

"Hold on a second. Tonight's the full moon? " Elena asked as she shifted on the couch. Damon's phone started to ring and he stood up from the couch

"Yep, but you were too absorbed with all your suicidal tendencies to notice." Damon taunted, being an ass and I laughed silently. I listened in as Damon answered the phone, being the eavesdropper of course.

"What?" He questioned.

"Sheriff Forbes has officially declared Mason Lockwood a missing person." a man's voice informed.

"What? Why?" he questioned with a furrowed brow as he walked into the other room.

"Some girl from Florida showed up on the Lockwood's door step looking for Mason."

"What girl?" Damon was pacing with the cell phone pressed to his ear and we all watched him closely. Obviously something had gone wrong.

"I don't know but she sure got everyone in a tizzy." I heard the unknown guy answer and I scrunched up my face in thought. Well who is this guy? I racked through my mind for people I had overheard any of them talking about.

"That's not good. Where are you?"

"I'm at the Grill."

"I'm on my way." Damon finished the conversation and hung up. I was jumping slightly in excitement. I hadn't been to the Grill in forever. Damon was most definitely taking me with him! I squealed on the inside. He walked back over to the archway.

"Change of plans. You baby-sit." he gestured to Jeremy and I was at his side in an instant.

"I'm going with you." I declared and Damon's blue gaze snapped to me. He frowned and put his hands on my shoulders, holding me in place in front of him. He better say yes or I'll beat him up. I looked up at him with the cutest pout I could muster up as I heard Jeremy lay back onto the couch, his head in Elena's lap and his legs hanging off the arm. "Please?" I said sweetly and he grimaced for a moment.

"No." he said and my puppy dog eyes quickly turned to an angry wolf's eyes. He let go and turned to leave.

"Hey you know, you should get out, enjoy the sun. Oh wait, you can't." he said softly, teasing Elena and both of us glared at him coldly. He was no longer cute or anything as we looked at him. He was so frustrating. I growled in annoyance and Elena pulled the cushion off out from under Jeremy's head and chunked it at Damon. I actually mentally applauded my sister's antics for once. Jeremy laughed and Elena shoved him off of her and he rolled onto the floor.

Damon left with a smirk of victory at successfully putting Elena and I into a bad mood. I was about to storm out of the house when I came face to face with aunt Jenna as I opened the door. Well this was awkward.

"What? Oh my god? Willow!" she squealed as she moved forward capturing me in a bear hug. I was stunned at her sudden embrace and I just stood there, letting her hug me. Eventually I pushed her back a little. Oh what to say?

"Hi Aunt Jenna." I greeted softly and she smiled, tears of happiness gathering at the corners of her eyes. I smiled back at her kind of at a lost for what to say.

"Where have you been? I have to know everything." she questioned going into parental mood as she dragged me into the kitchen with her. Oh boy! She stopped and placed her hands on the island, giving me a stern look. I could tell that she wasn't upset. She just wanted to know what happened. "Well?" she urged and I took a deep breath.

"I ran away. You all knew I didn't want to stay here, because of how Elena has always treated me. Even you treated me different because I was father's mistake. Well adoptive father's mistake." I explained, correcting myself at the end. Jenna's jaw dropped open at my words.

"You know about the adoption?" she asked as her brows furrowed while she glanced me over. I nodded in response and noticed that both Elena and Jeremy had abandoned me and ran off to their rooms. I scowled in annoyance. Way to help me come up with an alibi guys! Jenna's phone went off and she walked out of the room to answer it. I decided to head upstairs and leave her to her own business. I wasn't rude enough to listen in on everyone's conversations.

I was still pondering over the fact that Tyler was a werewolf. How could that happen? Well vampires exist so that's a really dumb question. I'm some freak druid after all. I walked into Elena's room and plopped down on the bed beside her. She was off in her own thoughts as we lay there. We really were practically mirror images. Though of course I always dyed my hair and had many piercings, however, I didn't have any of them in right now. I sighed heavily and turned onto my side. Looking out the window as the light faded from the sky. My ears picked up on someone entering the house and talking with Jenna. Man did that voice sound vaguely familiar. I was mulling over the tone of that voice when I heard that person walking around. Elena got up out of the bed and went to go see what was going on downstairs. I considered following her but figured she would give me the run down anyway. I heard her walk down stairs and the rustling of someone moving around boxes.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Elena questioned Jenna as Jenna looked through a box she pulled from the closet.

"Perfect timing." Jenna commented and handed Elena a box.

"What is this stuff?" Elena asked and I got up from the bed, tip toeing my way over to the door and heading downstairs. I loved exploring through old boxes and stuff it was always cool to find things that produced childhood memories. My bare feet made contact with the first floor and I turned, walking up behind Elena. I gave Jenna a small wave and she smiled up at me from her crouched position.

"Your mom's files from the Historical Society. I got roped into helping Mrs. Lockwood and by roped, I mean very excited to participate." Jenna answered shifting through some files before looking back up at Elena and I. Elena held a box full of books and files and I grinned. Well at least she has a little bit of muscle. Jenna stood up taking the box from the floor and closing the closet door with her foot.

In that moment I knew both mine and Elena's heart stopped. Elena gasped and almost dropped the box in her arms at the sight. There on the other side of the door stood Elijah. He actually looked pretty dapper in that suit. It was dark. A blackish color and it went well with his skin tone and hair color. He looked at the both of us with his almond brow gaze, a smile playing on those devilish lips.

"Hey, I'm Elijah." he greeted kindly. I looked down to the side as I felt my instincts start to take over. My fangs grew out of my gums and I had to be careful of Jenna. I knew that she was still in the dark and my teeth would probably earn me an interrogation. Jenna set down her box as Elena and I stood there in the foyer, still paralyzed by the shock of Elijah being in the house. Jenna walked back over and took the box from Elena.

"Elijah is in town doing research on Mystic Falls." she informed before walking off with the box of files. He walked forward and I snapped my attention back to him.

"It's a pleasure." he said softly, being a gentlemen. I growled. Only growling low enough so that only he could hear. It was a warning and it made a grin tug at his lips as he put out his hand to Elena and I. Elena recovered from her shook and hesitantly shook hands with him. I on the other hand crossed my arms over my chest giving him a cold glare. At this his grin widened. He was amused by me. It made me even more on edge. However, I had to admit that he was attractive. I mused over my previous thoughts of him. He had a cute cleft chin and was definitely to die for. Well if he wasn't some crazy heart stealing Original.

"So you're welcome to stay here and rummage through this stuff or Elena and I could help you load it into your car." Jenna offered as she came to stand beside Elena. I peeked my head out and glared at Jenna.

"I'm here too, ya know." I pointed out with a pout as Jenna bushed in embarrassment. Ashamed that she had already forgotten that I was here.

"Or I can get someone to pick it up tomorrow." Elijah's voice drew our attention back to him.

"Also a good plan." Jenna commented as she rubbed her arms and smiled.

"Thank you so much for inviting me into your home, Jenna; and you two..." he started to follow Jenna out of the house but paused for a moment and turned to look back at Elena and I. "I hope to see you again sometime soon." he finished with his gaze on me. I bit my lip and watched as he and Jenna walked out the wooden front door. As soon as the door clicked shut I rushed up the stairs quickly knowing that we had to get Jeremy. I couldn't protect as all and I knew he would call Damon and them for help. After all I didn't have a phone. Elena was right on my tail as I got to Jeremy's door and started knocking to get his attention. I went to grab the knob but found myself pinned against the shelf corner by Elijah. He had his hand covering my mouth as he put his finger to his lips, signaling Elena to be quiet. I heard the door open and Elena was winded as Jeremy addressed her.

"What is it?" he asked standing just a little inside his room as he pulled down his headphones. Elena ran her hand through her hair and took a breath.

"Jenna was just asking me to get you to help her with the boxes." she breathed, lying effortlessly in this situation. I turned my gaze to Elijah who was staring down at me. Grrr, I hated being so short! There was a glint in his eyes that I didn't understand completely.

"Okay." Jeremy mumbled and left, walking down the stairs to Jenna. Once he was gone Elijah let me go and turned his attention to Elena.

"A wise choice." he appraised as he placed his hand in the pocket of his coat. I stepped back, closer to my sister while letting my fangs show. If I had to I would fight him.

"What do you want?" Elena asked as she looked back at him after watching Jeremy retreat.

"I think it's time we had a little chat." Elijah gestured to Elena's room with his hand and we sighed in defeat. We weren't getting out of this anytime soon without getting Jeremy or Jenna killed in the process. I truly don't feel like being some human sacrifice for some curse to be broken. I grimaced as we followed Elijah into Elena's room. He walked over to the window seat and moved the blanket laid upon it.

"Forgive the intrusion. I mean your family no harm."

"Why did you kill those vampires when they tried to take me?" Elena questioned as she shut the door behind her. I walked over to the bed and plopped down on it, folding my feet under me as I sat there. I watched Elijah cautiously, highly doubting that he wouldn't cause trouble.

"Because I didn't want you to be taken. Klaus is the most feared and hated of the Originals, but those that fear him are desperate for his approval. If word gets out that the doppelganger exists, there'll be a line of vampires eager to take you to him and I can't have that." he explained himself, taking a seat and leaning himself up against the wall. I bit my tongue to keep myself from the lustful thoughts that were clouding my mind. I could legitimately listen to him talk for days that's just how attractive his voice and accent were. I cursed internally at myself when I thought of the kiss I shared with Damon. Did it mean anything? When I thought back to how he and Elena were today. I felt a pang of sadness in my heart.

Someone's aura wrapped around mine and I looked around trying to pinpoint who it belonged to. It was warm and made me picture warm colors. I was zoned out as I searched and Elijah's voice drew me back out.

"Klaus's obsession has made him paranoid. He's a recluse. He trusts only those in his immediate circle." Elijah was the one whose aura had wrapped its self around mine. I glanced at him and felt heat rise to my cheeks. I didn't know whether he was reaching out intentionally or not.

"Like you?" Elena questioned as I shifted in my position on the comfy mattress.

"Not anymore." his answer was soft and sad as he shook his head. I almost wanted to run over and comfort him when I saw the forlorn and sorrowful look in his eyes. He must of had some form of close relationship to Klaus at some point in time. Didn't Rose say that Klaus was the oldest of the Originals?

"You don't know where he is, do you? So you're trying to use me to draw him out." Elena observed as she looked at him with her arms crossed over her chest. On the Brightside of things I didn't have to worry about being used to draw him out. The only people who even knew of my existence were in Elena's immediate circle and this here Elijah. To the rest of the world, I didn't exist anymore.

"Well, to do that I need you to stay put and stop trying to get yourself killed." Elijah fired back as he pursed his lips with a smile. He was slightly chastising Elena's suicide missions that were spoiling his plans. See I knew that we were right for getting a tad bit overactive to Elena's actions.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"If I wasn't being truthful, all your family would be dead and I'd be taking you to Klaus right now. Instead, I'm here and I'm prepared to offer you a deal." I grinned at Elijah's smart reply. Elena was so dumb sometimes. Elijah glanced up at me and I fidgeted under his gaze. His aura was still wrapped around mine and for some reason it kept me calm.

"What kind of a deal?" she asked and I watched as Elijah sat up fully, no longer leaning up against the creamy walls.

"Do nothing. Do nothing, live your life, stop fighting and then, when the time is right, you and I shall draw out Klaus together and I shall make sure your friends remain unharmed." he commanded as he stood up. He walked forward, taking a step in my direction and I was tense once more as I watched him closely. "And you. I want to spend a day with you."

Elena and I turned to look at each other in confusion. What kind of deal was that? I moved back across the bed until I was closer to Elena and stood up. Elijah turned and walked over to the bureau flipping aimlessly through a little book that lay atop it.

"And then what?" Elena inquired curious to as to what he was planning to do.

"Then I kill him." he stated plainly as he turned to look at Elena and I.

"Just like that?" we questioned in sync. Both of us very confused by his deal.

"Just like that." he confirmed with a shake of the head. He smiled as he watched us. "I'm a man of my word, Elena. I make a deal, I keep a deal." I grimaced as I thought over the part of the deal that truly involved me. Why would he want a day with me? He was a truly puzzling and attractive man.

"How are you gonna be able to keep everybody safe?"

"I notice you have a friend; Bonnie, is it? She seems to possess the gift of magic. I have friends with similar gifts." the way the word magic fell from his lips had me weak in the knees. Oh boy, where's Damon to whisk you away when ya need him? If I was stuck in the same room with both him and Damon I'd probably lose it. I knew that even my wolf side felt drawn to the both of them. It was one of the reasons that I got all flustered with my thoughts in their presence.

"You know witches." Elena stated in a tone that said of-course-he-would. I grinned at my sister's slightly bitchy attitude in that moment.

"Together, we can protect everybody that matters to you." he said matter-of-factly and walked forward. "So, do we have a deal?" his warm gaze was on me and I honestly didn't know what to say. Elena of course drew his attention back to her.

"I need you to do one more thing for me." Elena stated as she stepped forward and I looked at her in confusion. What more could she want? I wondered as I crossed my arms, glancing at Elijah's amused expression as he stepped a little closer.

"We're negotiating now?" he squinted his eyes at her in curious humor. I watched as she nodded and quickly zoned out when I realized she was going to ask for Stefan's relief. I made my way back over to her bed and sat down on the edge as they bargained. I sighed and lay back, closing my eyes and just resting for a moment. I needed a little respite in this chaotic mess of Mystic Falls. I heard Elijah walk over to me and I opened an eye, peeking up at him.

"Can I help you?" I questioned with a tad bit of bitchiness in my tone. He gave a small smile and I felt like I was melting. He pulled his hand free from his pocket and held it out to me.

"Do we have a deal, Willow?" I reached out and took his hand in mine using it to pull me up. I gave him a soft smile in return and his smile widened.

"Deal." I confirmed with a shake of hands. He nodded and turned to leave.

"I will be in contact Willow." he said as he left disappearing out of Elena's room. Elena and I shared a glance. We would definitely have to explain ourselves to Damon and Stefan. I winced at the thought of Damon's reaction. He would not be happy that not only had Elena gone against the plan but I had also. Oh boy. Elena and I stood their just thinking for a moment.

"Why do you think Elijah seems so interested in you? It's not normal." she looked up at me as she paced and I knew she was just waiting for Elijah to free Stefan from the tombs and return him to her.

"I honestly don't know." I spoke softly. "I need to get a phone Elena. I need to be able to contact you guys if anything goes wrong."

"I'm sure Damon will get you one after all you're all buddy buddy with him." she snapped impatiently and I glared at her. Elena crossed her arms and walked over to the window seat to sit while she waited. I sighed and sat down on the bed folding my knees up to my chest. I was so confused by all of this emotion I was feeling. I felt a need to be close to people and I hated it. In all honestly I blamed it on my childhood deprivation of relationships. She turned her gaze to the window and I looked up with her as she moved the curtain to the side. There in the reflection of the window we saw Stefan.

"Elena? Hey" he said softly with a smile as we turned to see him standing in the doorway. I watched as she jumped up from the window seat and ran towards him. She wrapped him up in her arms as they met each other halfway. They both had smiles of pure happiness at being reunited. I could feel the love radiating off of them in waves. They pulled back just looking at each other. Then they kissed and I made gagging sounds at the sight. I laughed as they pulled back and turned their attention on me once more. They glared playfully at me.

"Hey!" Elena laughed as she smiled. I truly have never seen my sister look so happy before and I knew that her and Stefan were perfect. I stood from the bed and headed downstairs waving back at them as I left the room.

I ran my fingers along the wall as I strolled through the house and out the back door. I looked up to the full moon once I stood outside in the cool night air. It felt amazing at night and I smiled just taking in the air around me. I trotted lightly across the grass in the backyard until I reached the undergrowth of the forest. I felt the pine needles under my feet and heard the nocturnal creatures moving about in the area. I concentrated closing my eyes for a moment and felt the shift in my aura. When I opened my eyes again everything was much clearer and I could see farther into the night. The wind blew lightly threw my ebony fur. I stretched out my joints and turned my head up to the treetops above releasing a howl. I heard the reply of Koda and Moose off in the distance and my ears twitched curiously at the sounds of wolves from all around Mystic Falls return the call. I bounded forward through the trees and bushes as I made my way to my pack. I missed them so much. When I grew closer I yipped and barked in excitement.

"Koda! Moose!" I called as I heard their rustling grow closer. I broke threw a bush and almost ran straight into Koda. We all circled each other in greetings, taking light nips at each other's furs.

Once we had all made ourselves comfortable on the forest floor we decided to have a talk about the days events for me. I gave them the run down of the whole situation with Elijah and when I finished I looked up to see their shocked expressions. Koda snapped his jaw shut and glared at me as he got to his feet.

"What do you mean you accepted his deal? Are you insane?" he chastised as he leered over me. I got to my own feet and stared him down with a warning growl.

"I'm doing what I have to do Koda, don't question it!" I barked while his fur bristled in anger. I didn't care about how much this deal would piss them off. It was my choice, not theirs. If they didn't like it then oh well, they'd still have to deal with it. Moose rushed forward separating Koda and I. We both snapped at him in annoyance from his interference.

"Both of you stop it." he scolded and we both backed off from each other. He looked to Koda and I with judging eyes. Moose was always the softer and more understanding of my pack. He didn't particularly like conflict. "Now what are you getting out of this deal?" he questioned as he watched me closely. I huffed and sat down.

"Well not too much really. The deal is mostly for Elena considering she wants everyone to be protected. The only reason I even agreed to such a deal is you two." I explained as I glanced over at a still bristling Koda. He was still upset and I could feel that emotion rolling off of him in waves. Though after my explanation it cooled down a little.

"Well Koda are you gonna keep acting a fool? She's not stupid and she knows what she's getting into." Moose was pacing back and forth on the undergrowth of the forest. His massive paws left footprints in the soft ground. Koda gave a huff and turned his brown gaze on me as Moose and I waited for his response.

"No and I'm sorry Willow. It's just difficult. Our pack as never been apart this much." he apologized and walked forward touching noses with me. I gave his cheek a soft lick and smiled.

"Well you two are welcome to come with me. I just can't have you there when I go to Elijah. I don't particularly know if he wants us to be alone or not." I said softly laying down on the undergrowth. I turned my gaze up to the full moon. It was high in the sky which meant that it must be sometime past midnight. Moose's voice called my attention back to him.

"Come on we got something to show you." I stood up at their command and trailed behind them as we made our way closer in the direction of the Salvatore Boarding House. I could smell Damon and them from here that's just how strong their scents were. I grinned at the thought of Koda and Moose tearing up Damon's fine furniture. We pushed through a bunch of bushes and I looked around at the clearing we had entered.

"We're here." Koda stated, tone held excitement. There were three nest made of bedding from the forest floor and there was a pile of bones lying in the center of the clearing. The green bushes smelled nicely as I took a whiff of the night air.

"What is all this?" I asked in puzzlement when I turned to look over at my pack. Moose grinned and walked over to me.

"It's your birthday present." he answered and I stared at him in shock. What? It's my birthday? I wondered as I tried to remember what today was. I was stunned that I had forgotten about my own birthday and only my pack had remembered. I quickly recollected myself and looked up at them.

"Thank you guys so much!" I yipped as I rushed forward in happiness. Oh yay I was finally seventeen. I nuzzled my snout into their necks affectionately while they laughed at my antics. Eventually we all ended up rolling around on the forest floor together. After we had worn ourselves out and settled down catching our breath. I panted while laying on my side as I looked up at the tree tops, the midnight blue sky peeking through slightly.

"We should get some sleep. It's been a long day." Moose said getting up and urging the rest of us to go over to our own nest. I got up and drug myself over to my nest. My mind running wild with plans for a party as I laid down to sleep. Oh boy I so definitely needed to throw a birthday party that would show this town that I was back and ready to take on anything. However, Damon might not be too fond of that idea. Whelp, fuck it. I'm still gonna throw a party. Now I just need to get Damon to give me a phone. That was my last thought as I drifted off into sleep while the wind blew through the bushes and into my dark fur.


	5. Chapter 5

So loves I'm sorry for the late update but I made a lot of saucy moments for you guys to eat up on. I feel like there will be a smut in one of the close upcoming chapters. I considered putting one in this chapter but it was too soon. I love your opinions so please review for me. The song Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran belongs to him. It's remixes are used in this chapter. I hope this chapter satisfies you all. J

As the sun rays warmed my black fur I stirred in my nest provided by my pack. I rolled over in my bedding with a groan trying to keep the sun from hitting my eyes directly when I would finally open them to the day. It was my birthday and I was thankful that both Moose and Koda had remembered where I had forgotten. I moved barely an inch more and I felt the cool shade over my head. I blinked open my eyes sleepily and came face to face with a grinning Moose.

"Good morning, birthday girl." He teased and I rolled my eyes at him. I pushed myself up as the cracking of my joints woke up Koda who was sleeping like a log. I looked over at him with a smile as he rolled out of his nest sending leaves and moss flying out of his bedding.

"Well, morning to you to." I replied to Moose as I nipped his ear playfully. I was in a surprisingly good mood today. I honestly didn't know if it was from the new bedding or from being seventeen. Koda finally got himself up and moving as Moose and I watched in amusement. He was terrible in the mornings if he wasn't the first to wake. Sleeping in was not necessarily a good thing for Koda. It always made him goofy and slow.

"So what are we doing today?" he questioned as he finally made his way over to us without stumbling drowsily. I gave them both a mischievous smile.

"We my dears are gonna plan the best party Mystic Falls as ever seen." They both stared at me with dropped jaws. By the looks on their faces I could tell from just a glance that they were stunned by my idea.

"What about all the supernatural stuff and Elijah?" Moose questioned in disbelief that I would throw away the plan. I shook my head at them and they tilted their heads to the side awaiting my answer.

"Well, that's just it. Elijah is going to be my date for this party. Do you really think I trust him enough to not make our day together more public?" I elaborated on my ingenious plan for the day's events. They looked even more confused and I huffed brushing past them and to the entrance of our den. It was time to go see Damon and see what he and Rose have been up to. "Come on." I called back as I made my way outside of the bushes. I heard Koda and Moose rustling to get out behind me. I set off for Damon's house quickly, not wanting to waste another minute of today. However, when I got there I noticed a gloomy and depressing aura surrounding the house. Something was wrong. When we trotted up to the house and got a good look at it, I noticed that a window had been broken. I also noticed that Elena was here. Maybe she wanted to see Stefan again.

I mean after all they did get it on last night. There was no denying it and I would definitely tease her about it. I closed my eyes letting my aura shift so that I could get inside. I went to open it but Stefan pulled it open from the other side. I blushed slightly and looked down when I noticed his lingering glance on my naked form. I cleared my throat and he shook his head before moving to the side and letting me in. He didn't say a word as he left and I was still a little creeped out by our little encounter. I headed up to Damon's room to grab a shirt to wear and quickly headed back down when I heard Elena walking through the house. I followed the sounds of her footsteps until I reached the library.

"Definitely better. Right, Elena?" I heard Damon's voice as I came around the corner behind Elena. She stopped as if stunned and I quickly decided to walk around her to get a better look at what was wrong with Rose. Her shoulder was all blistered and looked as if the skin was torn and decayed. Damon gestured for an answer with his eyebrows as Rose shifted and turned to look at us.

"Yea it looks great. I'm sure you could model a bathing suit line in no time at all." I commented and smiled. "Maybe, I could even hook you up with a daylight ring for that photo-shoot."

"Um, it's not bad." Elena backed me up after a moment of hesitation.

"Where's Stefan?" Damon questioned softly as if trying to whisper and I furrowed my brows at his antics. Why was he trying to keep it down? Oh maybe he was up to something and didn't want Stefan to know.

"He left. I need you to talk to him. He's convinced that he has to find Isobel but I think that's gonna upset Elijah." Elena said as Damon took Rose's cup and started to pour more of whatever they were drinking. To me it smelled like an old blood. It was then that I noticed the blood bag in his hand. Ew, that just looks nasty.

"No, can do. I'm with Stefan on this one but if you could play nurse for a little while…" he said as he handed Rose back her cup and made his way over to Elena and I.

"It's not necessary."

"It is necessary. Elena is a do-gooder. It's in her nature, she just can't resist." he stated while walking up and past Elena and I. Elena hesitated as she took a moment to look over to Rose. I on the other hand trailed after Damon but Elena's voice stopped us.

"Damon." we paused and turned to look back at her. Her brows were furrowed in concern and I grimaced. I guess Rose had grown on her too. "Is she gonna die?" Elena questioned softly.

"Probably. The wolf bite caused some kind of infection and it's getting worse." he answered.

"Like poison?"

"I don't know, Elena. I'm not an expert in the field." I felt his aura flare in frustration and I reached out touching his side comfortingly. The flare died down but I knew he wasn't exactly soothed. His blue gaze fell on me for a moment but Elena broke that with an apology.

"I'm sorry."

"Death happens. We come, we go. Sooner she dies the better. It's gloomy as hell in here." his attitude was pissed when he spoke these words and knowing that it was because he didn't know how to help Rose made me feel proud. He was being human.

Before Damon could leave I grabbed his arm, dragging him with me into another room. He tugged his arm out of my grasp and I turned to look at him. I knew that she could probably hear everything he had said. Oh poor Rose he didn't mean it and I hoped that she knew that for his sake.

"Could you at least show a little more sympathy for Rose?" I hissed, trying to keep Rose from overhearing our conversation. Damon scowled at me and I huffed as I crossed my arms over my chest. "And b.t.w. I need a phone. I have this thing going on tonight."

"What are you up to?" he questioned as he leaned in, towering over my short self. I could feel his warm breath ghosting across my skin and I knew a blush was creeping up my neck. Oh boy, did he have to get all close and personal like that?

"Nothing that concerns you and trusts me I'm nothing like Elena. Phone now." I said in a demanding tone, holding out my hand between us with my demand. He grinned at me and pulled out a phone from his back pocket.

"Here you're lucky Stefan and I decided you'd probably be safer with it." He stated as he ran his nose along my jaw line. I bit my lip, holding back a gasp. This was definitely not good for my health. When he pulled away I smiled, looking down at my new phone. It was sleek and black with a touch screen. I switched it on and it took a moment to load. Whoa, it's a windows phone. When I went to look back up at Damon to give him a thank you hug he was gone. I blinked for a moment and then shrugged. Guess I would have to thank him later then.

Whelp let's go to the high school. I walked back upstairs to Damon's room in search of a bag to put the cell phone in. For the trek back to get some clothes from Elena's house I was going to need to shift. I dug around in Damon's drawers for a moment and finally found a little black bag. I tossed my new phone into it and hurried down the stairs. I was so incredibly excited for this party. It was gonna be the best thing that ever happened in this town. So amazing I knew it would put Caroline to shame. I strolled out of the house and to the forest, meeting up with both Moose and Koda. They were bouncing around on their paws with excitement and smiling. I padded further into the forest, looking around to see if anyone was able to see me. When the coast was clear I stripped off Damon's black button up shirt and placed it in the little black bag. I closed my eyes, letting my aura shift around me and when I opened them I was once again in my wolf form. The thought of using magic to transform Koda and Moose into humans briefly popped up in my head but I didn't understand my powers well enough to do it.

"Let's do this." I mumbled in excitement as I picked up the strap on the bag between my teeth. They both nodded their furry heads in agreement and I turned to go to Elena's house. Oh I was definitely going to wear Damon's shirt tonight. I wonder how it'll go over with everyone. The run through the forest had me panting as we all sat at the edge, just barely in the shelter of the trees. I could spot Elena's back door through the branches in the distance while I shifted back into my human form.

"Getting pretty used to that aren't you?" Koda commented and I turned to look at him in confusion. Why was he talking to me in this form? I had never really had either of them talk to me while in human form. Moose grinned and walked over, nuzzling his head against my bare outer thigh.

"You're changing a lot more than you ever have Willow. It's kind of fusing your forms together. Your hearing now acknowledges are barking as a familiar language." He elaborated and I stared at him in confusion. How did he know all of this?

"And you know this why?" I questioned and he shook out his fur before staring me down with his brown gaze. Koda seemed uneasy as he shifted on his paws. It was like they were hiding something from me. Really why does everyone have to start hiding stuff? First Bonnie and now them. Maybe I had some serious disease they were too scared to tell me about.

"It's complicated, but believe me. The more you shift the closer you get to you animal sides." He stated with a tone that dismissed the subject. I shrugged and grabbed the bag off of the forest floor. If they weren't going to tell me what was going on than whatever. It wasn't like I could compel them to. I opened it up but my eyes caught sight of my pile of clothes from the day before. I walked over, bending down to pick them up from the dirt. I shifted them in my hands, checking over their conditions and damage. From all that I could see they were just dirty. I stood back up to full height with the clothes and bag in my grasp. Frustration was one of the main things polluting my aura.

What the hell is going to happen to me? I seriously needed someone who could explain everything. I could only vaguely remember anything that Bonnie's grandmother had told me about my heritage. I threw on Damon's shirt to cover my naked form as I made my way over to the house. Oh well, I need clothes for tonight. Taking a deep breath and releasing all my frustrations I went into the house, making my way up to Elena's room. When I got there I tossed my dirty clothes onto the floor. I dug around in my drawer, pulling out purple skinnies and my worn-out black converse. I slid on some purple lingerie and then my skinnies. Struggling with them for a moment when they got stuck under my feet. I had managed to keep myself clean in my wolf form last night and decided that a shower could wait though I did need to brush out my hair.

I padded into the joint bathroom and stole Elena's brush, running it through my hair and getting out the knots. When I finished I looked myself over in the mirror. I had on Damon's shirt over my bra and I prided myself on successfully getting the bra on under his shirt without having to undress. My strange color wheel eyes had an odd glow about them but I shrugged it off. Tonight was my night, remember? Walking out of the bathroom I slid my feet into my converse and grabbed the black bag from the bed. I pulled my new phone out and then tossed it back over to the bed as I walked out focusing on my phone's screen. I had a message from an unfamiliar number.

"Remember the deal." that text haunted me as I made my way over to the high school. When I got there everyone was in a rush preparing for some school function. I looked around at all the students and teachers feeling uneasy. Oh boy I hadn't been around many people in a long time. The feeling of Moose and Koda's aura reaching out toward mine made me feel a bit comforted when I spotted Tyler and a very blonde Caroline walking over to him.

"How are you feeling?" she questioned Tyler as I listened in from where I stood. I was oddly surprised that no one had taken notice of me yet, but at the same time I was grateful.

"I'm okay. I'm sore, every muscle aches." he replied and I figured that he must have gone through with his first werewolf transformation. I slowly made my way closer to them. Unsure of the reaction I would get from saying anything to them.

"You did it. You know, you… your first full moon and you didn't hurt anyone. It'll get easier. You'll get better at it, you'll learn to control it and it won't hurt so much." Caroline praised with a smile and I could tell there was something growing between them. Whether it was a friendship or a relationship I didn't yet know. Hopefully I would find out soon enough and have more friends.

"Well, we don't know any of that for sure."

"No but small victories, Tyler. Last night was a victory. You know, let's take it.

"Look, I really want to thank you. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there." Tyler confessed softly and I walked up clapping my hands sarcastically at Caroline for not being so terribly shallow. When I had gone to school with her she cared only for her popularity and whether any guy was going to like her or not. Caroline turned to me with a glare and Tyler hesitated for a second before looking over.

"I haven't seen you in a while." I commented while coming up to stand beside them. "And trust me Tyler it gets easier if it's anything like being me."

When I said this they both became confused. Caroline crossed her arms over her chest with a scoff at my intrusion of their privacy. I glanced over to see Tyler's face and saw that he was indeed stunned by the fact that I was here. It had been such a long time since I had seen my best friend and even after I had come back for a while I never got the chance to see him. His lips were agape as he tried to process the situation, although Caroline beat him to the punch.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be out running away?" she hissed at me. Oh she was all claws and no scratch that's for sure. I scowled at her dryly for a moment. Well not much has changed over the span of my absence.

"Well not exactly. It's Elena's fault I'm even back here. She dragged me into this mess. I would have been perfectly fine living with my pack, but no I had to get dragged back here." I vented and Caroline was actually caught off guard. Tyler however had his brows furrowed and opened his mouth to speak. Oh jeez. I had definitely said a little more than I was supposed to.

"You're a werewolf too?" he asked hastily in a hushed whisper. I shook my head biting my lip softly. "Then what are you? You said you had a pack." His aura was flaring as he leered over me intimidatingly. He was letting his emotions get the best of him and I lifted my hand, pressing it softly against his muscled chest. Wow, he still played football. I observed and smiled internally.

"I'm a difficult species. A druid. I prefer being a wolf but I can be whatever animal I want to be. Though I think it's easier if they have a soul bond with me." I explained softly, hoping to calm him down. He was so tense under my touch and I could hear his heartbeat thudding in his chest. He moved forward and suddenly I was enveloped in a bone crushing hug. Oh boy. He had definitely matured over the years. I thought with a smile when I felt his muscles rippling under his skin.

"Yeah, anyway, uh… next month we should probably reinforce the wall because you almost got me that one time and it just would have been, um…" Caroline said smilingly to break up her awkwardness as the third wheel. She trailed off and I could easily tell that she was hiding something from him. Wasn't it a werewolf bite that had Rose all sick and deathly back at the house?

"What?" he questioned in confusion.

"Never mind, it's…" she trailed off again while both Tyler and I stared her down awaiting a straight answer. Obviously Tyler wasn't in a very patient mood as Caroline glanced down and took a step back from us. By now Tyler had let me go and I stood close to his side watching Caroline suspiciously.

"Wait, no, wait. What is it?" he questioned as he stepped towards her and lightly grabbed her upper arms. Well this is awkward. I could feel the tension and attraction to Tyler that Caroline had in this moment. She was fearful of what he might think if she told him the truth. Would he stay away for fear of killing her or would he stay and let the relationship grow? That was indeed the question that was running through Caroline's mind. It was written across her face and in the aura surrounding her.

"Well, it's not a big thing, it's just that one bite and it's… you know, curtains for me." Caroline confessed and I smiled. Well that wouldn't be too bad. It'd rid the world of at least one shallow brat. Tyler on the other hand wasn't too thrilled about this tad bit of information though I believe he didn't truly understand what she was saying.

"What are you talking about?"

"The legend says that a bite from a werewolf can kill a vampire." Caroline answered hesitantly and I smiled.

"Well that's not so bad. Right?" I commented and earned glares from both Tyler and Caroline. Well then take Barbie's side. I caught on to the fact that Tyler had a protective stance near Caroline, similar to how he used to stand next to me in our childhood. "Oh and guys I have a favor to ask of you both. It'll make you less shallow if you do it for me, Caroline." I changed the subject when the party popped back up to the front of my mind. I turned to her, watching as she pursed her lips in a snotty fashion. Apparently she didn't like her shallowness being public; however, everyone knew she was indeed a kiddy pool.

"What could possibly be so important that it'd change your opinion on me?" she questioned in a sarcastic tone and the fangs pushed out in my mouth as I gave her a cold glare. "It's my birthday and well I'd like to have a party tonight out in the woods by the cemetery. I need you two to spread the word." I explained with a cheeky smile.

"Happy birthday, wolfy." He said with a smile and I looked down, thinking of Damon. Really I needed to stop focusing on him. He loved Elena, right? Tyler gave me another bear hug pulling me from my thoughts when I struggled to breathe. Jeez, being a werewolf made him muscular. Having that chest pressed against me wasn't too bad for a birthday present. "Can't… breathe." I squeezed out and he chuckled at my expense.

"Caroline, you got a second?" I recognized the voice and turned to see good ol' Matt Donovan coming over to join us. Well he had definitely gotten older. Matt's hair was lighter than I recalled from my childhood memories and he held a more mature air about him. Tyler released me after my continued struggles to escape and slid his hands into the pockets of his black jeans.

"Hey, Matt." I took a moment to look him over, admiring his jock jacket. He had made something out of himself in the sports field I guess. Although our high school team really did suck.

"Yeah, sure." Caroline answered. Matt looked over at me in confusion for a moment with those baby blue eyes. He recognized me by my similarities to Elena but by the look on his face he didn't remember my name. I stuck out my hand for a handshake and he stared it down for a moment before giving it a shake.

"Willow Petrova. Elena's younger half-sister. It's been a while since I've been in town." I introduced myself to jog his memory and he nodded in response, a smile gracing his lips in good nature.

"Matt Donovan." He greeted back and I gave him a sweet smile after pulling my hand back from his grip. Nice hands. He must still be the quarterback on the team.

"I remember you."

At my words his brows furrowed as he thought back to the days when I had visited Elena, Jeremy, and my father. Even he had been kind of a jerk to me in those days. I briefly remembered Elena and him dating freshman year but I wasn't really around for that part of her life. I was too busy dealing with the loss of my apparently adopted mother. Not to mention the disappearance of my blood brothers. They had gone missing before her death and the case had been tossed off to the side. I still wondered where they were in the world but I shook it off.

"I remember you now. You were the girl who was always out in the woods and stuff." Matt stated trying his best to be civil and nice. I gave him a knowing smile and took a step back from the group.

"Whelp, I'll be on my way now. Caroline remember to spread the word about the party tonight. It means a lot to me." I walked off hearing Tyler dismiss himself while I headed back to my pack. If this was gonna be a party than I would need alcohol and food. Time to call in Elijah for help. I pulled out my phone from my pocket and scrolled to the text message from earlier. I pressed the number it was sent from and waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello." a young teen boy's voice answered. So this was probably one of his witches. I sighed and debated over what to say for a moment.

"Tell Elijah to meet me at Mystic Grill in thirty minutes." I commanded simply before hanging up the phone and glancing over to my pack. They were watching from the shelter of the bushes on the outskirts of the woods. I turned back to look over at the school and caught the sight of Matt kissing Caroline. Well that's a tad bit surprising. Wasn't he supposed to be the sweet small town boy? Why would he like that shallow bitch? I pursed my lips in thought before leaving for Mystic Grill. Had to admit she wasn't as shallow as she used to be. When I got there I walked into the calming atmosphere that was the bar. I knew this was a common hang out for most of the kids of Mystic Falls. It was also a hangout for day drinkers who had nothing better to do with their lives.

I had even been able to sway a few drinks from the bar tenders in the times I had come to visit Elena and father. They always seemed to take pity on me when I forced out the fake tears drawn from real pain. I was just about to walk over to the bar for a drink when I spotted the sheriff. This could be bad or good. It all depended on whether or not she recognized me. I flipped my long black hair over onto one side so she couldn't see my face and approached the bar silently. She was talking to some blond with curls in her hair. I took a sniff of the air and immediately caught the smell of a wolf.

"Is there any news?" the werewolf chick asked and the bar tender came to stand in front of me looking pretty plain and ordinary in his work uniform. He had a cute face though as he stared down at me with a welcoming grin.

"Can I get you anything?" I shook my head in reply and he walked off to tend to another customer. Well so far so good. Plus the bartender has a nice butt. I observed while he was walking away. The stool I was currently sitting on gave be just enough lift to see down behind the counter.

"No one's heard from him. I've opened an investigation. As soon as I hear anything I'll let you know." Caroline's mother assured before walking off and out of the grill. I felt eyes on me while the wolf moved to sit herself at a table a few paces behind me. I closed my eyes with a sigh, letting my senses observe the area around me. I could hear the conversations going on at several tables spread across the grill. The sounds of bubbles popping in soda and the light bulbs humming in the little lamps set at the dining tables. I was searching for something that might clue me in on what was really going on in the depths of Mystic Falls.

"Hey, Damon. The wolf is at the grill." Caught my attention and I furrowed my brow in confusion. It was the guy sitting across the room from me. I had seen him when I walked in but really paid no attention to him. He had unruly, short brown hair and looked as if he might be a teacher. If he was my teacher I might be staying after class a lot if you know what I mean. The door to the bar creaked open and I caught a whiff of Stefan's scent. What was he doing here? By the sound of his footsteps he was walking over to the guy who had just called Damon a moment ago.

"Is that the….?" Stefan's voice trailed off in question as he took a seat at the mystery man's table.

"Yeah, yeah. I just left Damon a message." So this guy was close to Damon as far as I could tell. Maybe he was that Alaric guy that they had mentioned before. I cast a glance over my shoulder and meet Stefan's gaze. He had a brooding look for a moment before shrugging it off as he watched me. Isn't he supposed to be staring down my sister? I mean he's looking for more than a few seconds, should I warn Elena? I laughed to myself which caught the bartender's attention.

"So you're doing his dirty work for him now." I heard Stefan inquire and I noticed another pair of eyes was currently burning into my back. People just love to stare at me from behind. I rolled my eyes as the bartender came back over to offer me a drink and this time I nodded. I needed a little something to calm the nerves when all eyes were on me.

"Southern Comfort, please?" I questioned as I hung my head low, looking up at him from beneath my lashes. He gave me a smile, obviously thinking I was gonna be a tipsy little pick up at the end of his shift. Definitely not my type. He wasn't dangerous enough. Damon and Elijah on the other hand were a force to be reckoned with.

"A shot?" he inquired and I grinned mischievously.

"No the whole bottle." I replied smartly and he got a stunned look upon his face. He was cute but definitely not my type.

"Even if I did, she isn't gonna help." Oh jeez I missed something important. The bartender placed a glass and the bottle of Southern Comfort on the bar in front of me and I nodded my head in thanks. He walked off, cleaning out glasses with a plain white rag.

"Katherine said that Isobel knew of Klaus." Stefan's voice drew my attention back to their conversation. I wondered if he knew that I could hear them as I poured myself a glass of the warm alcohol. I needed a drink or three before I had to deal with Elijah. Which reminds me, he should be here shortly. I can only hope that Stefan will me out of here by then.

"So this isn't about Rose, it's about Elena. I have an old number, probably out of service." The man pointed out and I guess it kind of sucked that Stefan wasn't out trying to help Rose. I mean seriously the poor girl was probably dying and she was stuck with my sister. Trust me I probably would've killed myself already if I was stuck with her all day. Then again we were kind of on better terms as long as she stopped having these little moments with Damon. I mean come on she already had Stefan and she just kept giving Damon all he needed to keep chasing after her.

Lost in my own thoughts I missed the tail end of the man and Stefan's conversation. Mystery man stood up from the table and left the grill as I turned to look back over to Stefan. He tilted his head in curiosity before gesturing for me to come over. I took my full glass of So-Co with me as I made my way through the grill and over to Stefan.

"Hello Stefan." I greeted with fake enthusiasm as I took Mystery man's seat. Stefan leaned forward over the table and stared me down with a parental like attitude. I returned it with a glare and his green eyes glinted with humor. Stefan sucked in his bottom lip getting down to the seriousness.

"What exactly are you doing here drinking alcohol underage?" He questioned with demanding tone and I smiled taking a swig of my drink. Relishing in the burning sensation it left down my throat.

"Well ya see it's my birthday and I needed a break so I figured eh, what the hell?" I answered in a cocky tone. Damn, Damon's cockiness was growing on me. Stefan's stare grew harder and I licked my lips as I downed another few ounces of my drink. He definitely wasn't too happy about that response and seemed to be at a loss of words. "I'm not your little damsel in distress girlfriend. I'm a druid and I can very well handle myself without you and Damon making my decisions for me." I stood up to leave after giving him a piece of my mind but his hand on my wrist stopped me. His grip was hard and he looked frustrated as he glanced up at me. Stefan's eyes showed that he was having an inner battle with himself over what to say.

"Happy birthday, Willow. I take it Damon gave you the phone?" his gaze softened and I relaxed a little though I still pulled my wrist from his grasp.

"Yes he did and thank you both." I dismissed myself from him and made my way out of the grill. When I stepped out the door I almost ran into Elijah. Well Elijah's chest. A small blush dusted my cheeks as I looked up at him.

"Willow." he greeted softly with a smile, noticing I was uncomfortable at our closeness. I heard the familiar rumble of Damon's camaro driving up the road and immediately grabbed hold of Elijah's arm, dragging him around to the back of the grill. Once we were safe from prying eyes I let go of him. His face showed a curious humor at my actions while I calmed myself against the brick wall of the grill. I peeked around the corner, gesturing for Elijah to be quiet while listening for Damon's camaro parking and waited silently until he was inside the bar.

"Damon was coming our way and Stefan is in the grill." I rushed out turning back to look at him, letting out the breath I had not noticed I was holding in the process and it only made his charming smile grow.

"So you drag me out behind a building. You know in my day hiding out from the public usually meant the couple were courting." he commented teasingly and I glared up at his smug expression. Wasn't he supposed to be all gentlemanly and here he is talking about secret courting? I arched a brow at his insinuations, moving forward boldly.

"I fancy no one." I mocked his accent and his lips became a thin line. I gulped and took a step back from him. Elijah seemed offended as he stepped forward, taking his hands out of his pockets, leering over my shorter stature.

"Are you mocking me?" he questioned while backing me up against the back wall of Mystic Grill. He was so close I could feel his warm breath ghosting over my face as I looked up at him with wide eyes. Elijah leaned forward brushing his nose against mine and a small gasp escaped my lips. I wasn't ready for this! He was over stepping those gentlemen boundaries. His brown eyes were calculating as he looked at me for approval.

"No." I bit my lip, giving him a soft glare and at last he backed off a little. He was ashamed as he stepped back, placing his hands back in his pockets. Oh boy, what did I do? There was a hurt inside of his aura, it rolled off of him in short waves as he struggled to meet my gaze.

"Excuse my actions Willow. I meant no harm." This apology made me regret telling him no. Really this sexy English accented vampire tries to kiss me and I tell him to stop! What is wrong with me? I vented internally before reaching out to comfort him. He looked at me in confusion when I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close.

"It's fine. Trust me I could've kissed you if I wasn't all a jumbled mess." I confessed softly as I nuzzled my face into his chest. He hesitated for a moment before placing his arms around me and laying his cheek on the top of my head. Wow, he was warm! I could stay like this forever and not really give a damn but then Damon worms his way into my head and I can't shake him. I bit my lip and decided that I was going to tell him about my plans for tonight. I mean since Damon was off doing dirty work Elijah was the closest person to make my birthday worth it.

Confusion plagued my heart but being in Elijah's arms just felt so comforting. He pulled back a little and glanced down at my shorter form with those warm brown eyes. He radiated with care and the want for a family. Still I had to wonder what his connection to Klaus was. I felt that he was hiding something about their relationship from us. Maybe, I could dig it out of him later tonight.

"Willow, about the deal..." he started bringing me back from my thoughts but I leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek. Stunning him speechless. I cheered mentally at my success at shutting up such an attractive man. Vampire or whatever he wanted to be called.

"You're going to be my date to my birthday party tonight." I grinned my excited and guilty grin as a sweet smile turned the corners of his lips once more. We released each other from the embrace and moment we had. "Yea, I need you to get some party stuff. Make it this century party stuff too. I know you're pretty old fashioned otherwise you probably would've kissed me anyway." I commanded with a tease as I pulled out my phone from my pocket. There was a message from Elena but I blew it off because well she's annoying.

"And if I did kiss you?" he taunted and I turned my gaze back to him. He was letting go and having fun it seemed. That was definitely showing in his aura as it expanded itself around my own playful aura.

"I would have kissed back. Maybe a Frenchy too." I teased again. "Now let's get down to business. I have a party to dictate and well you have money to spend on supplying that party. After all you have the honor of being my date."

"And it is such an honor, Willow." his tone was low and more sultry. That familiar rush of heat flew straight to my cheeks and I looked down in embarrassment. My phone ringing however ruined the atmosphere as I quickly swiped over the answer button.

"Willow where are you?!" It was a panicky Elena that I answered the phone too. Oh what did the Salvatore's do this time? I sighed and paced away from Elijah, getting as much privacy as I could with his enhanced hearing. He was watching me closely, so closely I could feel his gaze on my back.

"I'm busy, what's wrong now?" I spoke into the phone, a hint of annoyance ringing in my tone. She was always ruining something for me. Why shouldn't I be annoyed? She struggled to catch her breath for a moment and I waited tapping my foot against the concrete.

"It's Rose. Damon left me with her and she's going crazy. I'm stuck in Stefan's room." Well she sure knew how to be a Buzzkill. Too bad I had no intentions of helping her. I took a deep breath preparing to give her a piece of my mind.

"Damon left her there with you. Call him, not me. You're not my problem. Did you even remember that today's my birthday? The one day that I get to take a break from all of your torture. No you didn't. Figure this out on your own Elena." My tone was dripping with venom and I could feel the fangs lengthening from my mouth. Someone's hand touched my shoulder and the urge to attack them was evident. Although when I turned I came face to face with a concerned Elijah. My lips were parted as I took a few breaths to calm myself before clicking off the call as Elena called my name through the speakers.

"Are you alright?" his voice was soft while he ran his fingers through my hair soothingly. I gave him a nod and placed my hands in my pockets, shrugging it off. Elena was going to have to grow up one day and stop relying on everyone else to take care of her problems. She was confident and had made her own decisions but those decisions only made the situation worst for the rest of us. Stefan was really a tolerant man since he could deal with her.

"Yes, let's go." I stated and started to walk off. The sun was setting overhead and I knew it was almost party time. Elijah accompanied me through the shopping that needed to be done for the party and even helped me to retrieve my Ipod from Elena's room without alerting anyone of our presence. That is anyone who was at the house. I was pretty certain it was empty but not really certain. To the usual party area by the cemetery we went out into the woods.

"Willow, you should practice using your magic." Elijah suggested as he moved some fallen logs together to make a makeshift seating area. I thought it over as he started to set up the speaker rocks that he had bought for me earlier. I decided to at least give it a try so I stood by the main fire pit that had been used in former parties. Closing my eyes and taking deep breaths I focused on the wood placed inside the pit. It wasn't long before I felt the heat of fire reaching out to my body and warming me up. I blinked open my eyes and looked down seeing that I had indeed made a nice fire in the pit. I glanced over to Elijah and noticed that he was by my side with a winning smile tugging at his lips. "That was truly amazing. I don't think this magic will take very long for you to master."

"What do you mean?" I questioned as I closed my eyes again taking in the forest around us. He moved behind me and ran his fingers down my spine and I lost focus for a moment, the tingles getting to me under his touch. What was he doing? I wondered as he moved his hand back up my back slowly.

"Keep your focus, Willow. My witches would love to teach one of your kind, though that is if you're willing." He chastised lightly and I felt my cheeks burn in embarrassment, rather than the heat radiating from the fire. I breathed, lighting the torches and bonfires to light up the darkness of the forest. When I finished I turned around to face him and he leaned down pressing his lips against my forehead. Wow, his lips were so soft. His fingers pushing a stray lock of hair back behind my ear when he pulled back looking down at me. I sucked on my bottom lip and peeked up at him curiously.

"Thank you for everything Elijah." I said appreciatively. Elijah looked to the side, gathering himself from that little moment. It was odd how throughout our time together today there was this connection. We had brought out each others' more fun and playful side and with that we kept ending up at these sweet little moments that we didn't understand how to explain. In the end we just shrugged it off nonchalantly, pretending that it wasn't really anything of importance. However, we both knew deep down there was indeed something going on. I grimaced in thought for a few moments. Elijah walked off to continue setting up for the party as the sun left the sky, leaving behind only the moon and starlight. Luckily I had managed to get the fires lit with my magic, because I noticed our lack of matches or a lighter. Coolers full of beers and soda were placed around for the people who would sneak off to the party by the time we finally finished. I walked over to where we had set up my Ipod and set the music to shuffle. Once I had completed that task I headed over to where Elijah was standing lost in thought. I took his hand turning him to me, starting to move my hips to the song "Give Me Your Hand" by The Ready Set. He smiled at my antics and spun me around, before pulling me to his chest. I let out a light laugh while I pushed back away from his chest and let go of his hand. I pranced around freely to the music, even letting the lyrics slip from my mouth.

The music was blearing as random students from the high school creeped through the trees to my party. Elijah had sat down on one of the many logs lying over the mossy ground a while ago and I decided to join him. We watched as the area filled up with people dancing and socializing. A smile graced my lips as I leaned against Elijah's side just relaxing.

"You did it." he said softly and I turned my head glancing up at him curiously.

"Did what?" I asked turning my gaze back to the partiers who were spread throughout the are drinking and dancing to the music reverberating in the night. Well I knew I had succeeded at making a great party. Though that wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for my Original sidekick.

"You stood up for yourself against Elena. She's a compassionate girl, however, she does seem to burden you her troubles." he elaborated as a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Well I definitely didn't expect to have Elijah's praise for this. I think on the down low he was wild and fun. He seemed to have many different sides about him and I was facing one of the more hidden one's. I stood up as the Xilent remix of "Give Me love" came on, offering Elijah a dance. I was gonna teach this old fashioned vampire how to live a little in this day and age.

Give a little time to me or burn this out,

We'll play hide and seek to turn this around,

All I want is the taste that your lips allow,

My, my, my, my, oh give me love,

Elijah took my hand and I turned leading him through the trees to a move secluded part of the forest near the cemetery. The beat of the song reverberated all around us and I lifted his hand letting him spin me around and pull me back to him. Our dance was slow and paced to the beat. My lips moved to the lyrics of the song but I kept silent, waiting for some reason to actually sing. I knew when the moment was right I would actually let the words be voiced as we danced freely. It was fun and lighthearted.

Give a little time to me or burn this out,

We'll play hide and seek to turn this around,

All I want is the taste that your lips allow,

My, my, my, my, oh give me love,

The beat dropped and I stepped away from Elijah, releasing his hand in the process. He paused, watching me curiously. For some reason something was off with me. I couldn't exactly place what was wrong so I continued to move my body to the beat. I could feel Elijah's eyes watching me appreciatively and with great curiosity as I danced before him, giving him a little show. I remember as a child I loved dancing and music. It was one of the things that soothed my troubled soul after visiting Elena and father. Music was my great escape. When the song slowed once more I moved back to Elijah.

My, my, my, my, oh give me love,

"And that I'll fight my corner. Maybe tonight I'll call ya, after my blood turns into alcohol. No, I just wanna hold ya." I sung softly as we danced closely. Our bodies were touching we were so close and suddenly I felt like I couldn't breathe. Damon swarmed my mind and I bit my lip in concentration. I couldn't shake him out of my thoughts and it made me hesitate in the dance. Elijah looked down at me in concern, placing his hands on my shoulders and rubbing them comfortingly.

"What's the matter?" he questioned as he furrowed his brow in confusion, stopping our dance completely. My gaze fell down as I clutched my hand to my chest. It was then that I realized my aura was reaching out to someone. Whom I didn't know, but I had a pretty strong feeling that it might be Damon. Maybe, that's what my thoughts were alluding to. Something was very wrong. I ignored Elijah's question, stumbling back from him with my hand still pressed to my racing heart. Elijah seemed as if he would protest when he reached out for me but he closed his parted lips as if deciding that he would let me figure this out for myself. He placed his hands into the pockets of his slacks and observed my moment of weakness.

My, my, my, my, oh give me

Give me love like never before,

'cause lately I've been craving more,

I struggled to make my feet work right as flashes of Damon and I in his room kept running through my mind. My eyes clenched shut as I gritted my teeth, trying to pull my aura back to myself. Suddenly I dropped to my knees panting next to one of the coolers. Beads of sweat had begun to form on my skin. The only rational thought I could form was to not transform. Not here with all of these witnesses, because in my stumbling I had made my way back towards the crowds of dancing and chatting teens. I lifted the lid to the cooler, grabbing a beer and ripping off the cap. I placed the cold glass bottle to my lips and chugged it down. The taste was disgusting but it cooled off my heated form. What was going on? I glanced over my shoulder to see if Elijah was still there and to my relief he wasn't, but there just a few trees away I saw to glowing eyes of my pack. I listened through the fog of my mind to the whines coming from my pack. They were indeed scared for me. I felt the shift of my fangs and immediately pushed myself up from the ground, scaring people who were chatting nearby. I ran off in the direction of my pack and even past them until I was in a very dark part of the forest. When I finally stopped I fell to the ground at the base of a tree. Moose and Koda were at my side in mere seconds. The way I was now with my thoughts running wild gave me flashbacks of the night the accident happened. The night of my first transformation. One of these days I would have to sit down and accept that it was my fault that they died, but that was not this moment.

Moose moved forward and stood before me. Those eyes of his were filled with concern for my well being and I briefly thanked the gods that Elijah had given me the space I needed right now.

"Rose is dead, Willow." Moose finally got to the reason they had showed up at the party. I heaved a sigh running my hands through my hair in frustration. I hadn't really doubted that Rose would end up dead from the werewolf bite but what did that mean for Damon.

"How's Damon handling it?" I questioned softly and the air went cold. It was as if someone had just died right in front of the three of us. The wolves shifted uncomfortably before me and I gave them a stern glare. "What happened?" I was not in the mood to deal with any waiting when it came to the questions I needed answered. My heart was still thudding wildly in my chest and I was still feeling the tug on my aura.

"He left. He had a lot of drinks and then he left." Koda explained hurriedly and I was up faster than I had ever stood up before. My frustration flared at this news. What the hell was everybody doing? Damon was out there all alone right now. I bit my lip as guilt filled my being. I had been so caught in my own party planning that I hadn't been there for him when she passed. I was angry at myself and screams filled the night from the party. I'm just going to ignore that. I need to find him.

"Did you guys at least see which direction he went in?" I asked in a growl filled with bitterness as I started to storm off in search of my best friend. Damon was really going to be the end of me. What if he was off killing someone? Well that would definitely be a little stress relieving. I even considered it myself as I pushed through the forest.

"The streets." Was the only reply I got. I breathed in through my teeth in anger and sent them off to search somewhere else while I investigated this lead. I walked through the forest searching for the outskirts of town where I knew Damon was likely to be. My aura was drawing me in this direction and I followed it. For some reason I felt that it might lead me to Damon. I peeked through a few shorter trees when I saw the light of a car driving up the road. It was slowing down to a stop and so I turned my gaze to whatever was causing the stop. There playing dead in the middle of the road was Damon. I was considering rushing to his side, thinking of all the things that he could be feeling. Not only did I think of them but I could see his aura. It was black and blue. Depressive and angered.

A strawberry blond woman got out of the car, cell phone in hand and rushed over in her platform heels.

"Sir, are you okay? What happened?" she questioned and I grimaced. How stupid could this girl really be? She was all hesitant and worrisome as she approached his form, lying in the street.

"I'm… lost." his voice was pathetic and sad. My jaw clenched as I fought the urge to run to his side and comfort him. It was him that my aura was pulling me toward and oh boy was that frustrating.

"And you're laying in the middle of the road?" She was puzzled by his response and he rolled his head so that he was facing the night sky. Grunting at her stupidity. By now my lip was caught in-between my teeth as I watched.

"Not that kind of lost." he answered before sitting up, his back facing the woman. "Metaphorically, existentially." he described as he turned his head to look over his shoulder at the woman. She was indeed fearful of him, standing a few feet away from him in case she had to run.

"Do you need help?" Damon pulled out a flask of alcohol and I grinned. Well this is what drunk and hurt Damon looks like. I must wonder if Elena has ever seen him this way. In all truth I liked him this way it was the most expressive I think I would ever see him. He wasn't putting up his guard right now. It wasn't a facade. It was just raw Damon.

"Well, yes I do. Can you help me?" he was being a smartass as he said this and it made me grin. Oh Damon. He lifted the bottle to his lips and took a drink. The car lady clutching her phone to herself as she watched.

"You're drunk." She accused and slid her phone back into her jacket pocket. She was done with him from the looks of it. Well that was quick.

"No. Well, yes a little maybe." he struggled to get his words out as she started to leave. He turned to look at her as she walked back to her car, pleading pathetically. "No please don't leave. I really do need help." When she kept getting closer to her car and ignoring him he rushed over to her. He gripped her arms tightly and turned her to face him. She gasped as she came into eye contact with him. At this moment I knew he was compelling her as the words "don't move" slipped from his lips.

"I don't want any trouble."

"Neither do I but it's all I got is trouble." he was holding her there in front of him looking like a lost little boy. I found myself inching forward to go and comfort him but I had to stop myself. His words hit my heart full on and my aura reached towards his but I had to see what he was going to do. I knew that these feelings I had for him would either disappear or heighten in this moment. I could see him at his worst and give up on him or accept him for what he was. Something Elena could never do. I focused back on the two and saw that Damon had released her and was taking another drink from his flask.

"Why can't I move?" the woman asked as her eyes looked around in confusion. She was trembling as she watched him drink down the alcohol. It almost made me want to help save her from him, but I wouldn't of course.

"What's your name?" he had placed his arms on her shoulders after swallowing down the alcohol and leaned forward. The tears were glistening in the light of the headlights from her car. She might be the one crying but I knew that's probably what Damon was doing on the inside. He needed someone to accept him and Rose had. Given she wasn't what he wanted but she had seen him for him and called him out on it.

"Jessica."

"Hi Jessica. I have a secret, I have a big one and I never said it out loud. I mean, what's the point? It's not gonna change anything, it's not gonna make me good, made me an adopt a puppy. I can't be what other people want me to be, what she wants me to be. This is who I am, Jessica." he had stepped back gesturing as he spoke to the frightened girl. His words made me want to crawl in a hole and die. He was talking about Elena. My heart felt heavy as I closed my eyes trying to calm myself.

"Are you gonna hurt me?" Jessica's trembling voice questioned and the animal part of me voted that if he didn't than I would. I was probably as lost as Damon was. I was most likely worst. I let a guy that's in love with my sister worm his way into my heart and make me human again.

"I'm not sure because you are my existential crisis. Do I kill you or do I not kill you?" As he spoke he ran his hands over her hair supping her face gently. He stepped back from her once more. I gritted my teeth and clenched my fist. Why was I so pathetic for wanting such a pathetic being? This was the thought running through my heart.

"Please don't."

"But I have to, Jessica because I'm not human and I miss it. I miss it more than anything in the world! That is my secret but there is only so much hurt a man can take." I could hear the tears in his voice and I knew that my pain wasn't worth giving up on him. I could wait. I could be the person he leaned on if I just got a hold of myself.

"Please, don't." she pleaded again and he walked forward while I watched them. He was crying as he looked down.

"Okay. You're free to go." he whispered while compelling her, tears slipping down his cheeks. Once the words left his lips she ran, heels clicking on the road to her car. Though before she could get inside Damon rushed over to her, pinning her against the car as he sank his fangs into her neck. She released a cry of pain, struggling against him though he had his hands gripping her body to him and her hair. Within seconds she was dead and he released her, letting her lifeless body fall to the ground. It took me a moment to recover from what I had just witnessed, but when I did I rushed out from my hiding spot to him. His face was demented and it frightened me. I paused a few feet away from him hands held up to show I meant no harm.

"Damon. Look at me." I said softly and he lifted his head. His bloodshot blue eyes showing confusion at my presence. He stumbled toward me away from Jessica's lifeless form and I took a step back.

"Willow." he called, his voice strained with the pain he was still dealing with. I gathered up as much courage as I could and took the few steps it took to stand before him. He looked down at me, his face reminding me of a lost puppy. I reached up slowly placing my hand against his cheek. His lips were stained with Jessica's blood while he watched me like a cornered animal. His face didn't fade back as I held his gaze and it worried me. His aura was wild and untamable as mine tried to soothe it. Maybe I shouldn't have come to him.

"Damon. Please calm down." I soothed as I ran my hand down his cheek, wiping away at the blood on his chin. He was ashamed of himself right now. I observed the demonic face before me for a moment. Why wasn't he changing back? Suddenly I found myself slammed against the bark of a tree. I groaned in pain trying to move but found myself pinned in place. His chest was pressed against mine and he had lifted me up against the tree. I was straddling his waist and I could feel his body in-between my thighs. "Damon!" I screamed breathlessly when his lips came in contact with the soft skin of my neck. No, please don't make me hurt you Damon. I pleaded to the gods above. I had attacked him before and right now I didn't want to make him feel worst. He grazed his fangs against my pulse and I gripped his shoulders, my breath hitching in my throat.

I closed my eyes and bit down on my lower lip to stop it from trembling. I had to stay calm but I couldn't as my own fangs lengthened in defense. What was I supposed to do? He had me pinned and he was so angry with the world. My mind was a jumbled mess of instincts, fear, and even lust as he held my hips with those sinful hands.

"Willow, stay still." he warned against my skin and I noticed that I was indeed squirming and struggling to push him back. A hand left my side and pressed against my abdomen when he sank those sharp fangs into my neck. A pained howl escaped my lips. I was in danger and my instincts were getting the best of me. I could hear the sounds of my pack in the distance. I needed to get out of this trap. My head was fogged over as the precious life source known as blood left my body and flowed into Damon's awaiting mouth. As a last ditch effort to get him off of me, I moved my head forward and sank my teeth into the skin his neck. He gave a small moan in answer, but didn't free me from his mouth. The warm metallic taste was shocking as it poured into my mouth. I don't know if it was because we were creating a cycle of blood sharing but it was strangely delicious. My tongue lapped at the wound I had inflicted, craving more of the taste. It was metallic, sweet, and even had the hint of alcohol in it. Truly it was a curious flavor yet almost addicting. I felt his lips tug up in a smile against my skin before he pulled back, his aura relaxed and calmed around me. His blood dripped down my chin as we watched each other, taking in what had just happened. My lips parted in soft pants while I tried to determine whether he was going to attack again. Not that I minded much anymore. It sounded worst than it actually felt. "Tell your pack that you're fine." he commanded softly, leaning forward to lick away the blood decorating my lips. I smiled up at him, licking his tongue playfully. He didn't seem to be run by his emotions anymore and his face had reverted back to a more human look.

"Is it safe for me or are you going to try to kill me?" I whispered as I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling us closer together if that was even possible. The feeling of our bodies pressed against each other had a heat growing in my core.

He grinned at my antics and placed a soft kiss to my lips. Oh my, this was definitely not going to go in a bad direction. His aura had brightened at my acceptance of his monstrous side.

"I would never." he declared with a strange look in those blue orbs. It was a warm and caring look that seemed to be swimming in those wild eyes of his. He watched me closely, searching for any signs that I didn't trust him. For some ungodly reason I did trust him. Not just the fact that he wouldn't kill me, but with everything that was me. He was making me fall for him. Granted I did indeed feel some calling towards Elijah when I was in his presence but Damon overwhelmed me all the time. "Do I scare you?" he whispered against my lips as he placed another kiss there. I would be lying if I said no and I knew he could hear my heart beat if it raced when I said it.

"You do, but not enough for me to leave you." I answered and returned the kiss. Deepening it as I tugged on his bottom lip with my fangs. His lips dominated mine in retaliation for my taking charge. My tongue submitted as his worked its way into my parted lips. I was so lost in the kiss that I completely forgot about my pack coming in search of us. A rustle in the undergrowth a few paces away called our attention over. When Damon and I pulled apart to investigate I caught sight of them, their jaws dropped open. "Leave us now." I commanded in a low growl and they were at a lost as to what to do. Damon turned looking over his shoulder at Koda and Moose. They turned around quickly and took off, leaving me in confusion. What had made them flee so quickly? When Damon turned to face me again I saw what had scared them off so quickly. His face had demented again earning a stunned gasp from me.

"I'm sorry." he apologized when he noticed the quickening of my heartbeat. I however leaned forward and caught his lips in another passionate kiss, closing my eyes. He hesitated, shocked that I had kissed him while he was like that. This time as I pulled back a smile plastered itself on my lips and I cupped his face gently, looking into those wide blue eyes. "You're beautiful, Damon, even like that." I confessed honestly. It was amazing that only moments ago he had been on the brink of killing me, but I managed to bring him back.

Damon smiled at my words and his face shifted back to a human look. He cupped my face with his hand that had been resting on my stomach and ran his thumb over my lips. I felt a blush creep up to my cheeks under his warm gaze. He let me down slowly so that I was standing on my own two feet. It was then that an idea popped into my head and I gave him a playful grin.

"Catch me if you can." I taunted as I took off further into the forest leaving a stunned Damon. I was glad that my wolf side enhanced my speed as I wove around the trees. Once he had gathered his wits he laughed and I could hear him moving through the forest in chase. I giggled as he appeared in front of me and I ducked around him. "Nice try, but not good enough." I teased while turning around to face him. He had a lopsided grin plastered on those sinful lips when he turned to face me. I could tell we were closer to the abandoned party area as the sound of "Give me love" reached my ears but it was now the True Tiger remix. He reached out to catch me and I stepped back before turning on my heel and fleeing from him. It felt nice to just let go like this for a while.

And that I'll fight my corner

Maybe tonight I'll call ya

After my blood turns into alcohol

Give a little time to me or burn this out

We'll play hide and seek to turn this around

All I want is the taste that your lips allow

He grabbed my hand, spinning me around to face him. His blue eyes were shining in victory now that he had caught me. I panted softly with a chuckle ringing true while I looked up at him. He stepped forward, backing me up into yet another tree. Only this time it wasn't to suck me dry. His blood really was healing considering I felt alive and strong. Damon cupped my face in his hands, forcing my head to tilt up. He was so close and his scent was so powerful even with the booze on his breath. His lips captured mine as the song played out through the trees. It was a soft and compassionate kiss. Something I didn't particularly think Damon would do. Everything about him was so wild and unpredictable. I sometimes didn't know how to respond to him, but right now I did. My lips moved against his, a small moan escaping my lips as his hand ran down my face and to my neck, his fingers tracing over where he had bitten me earlier. It was healed but the skin was new and sensitive under his finger tips.

"I see you stole another of my shirts." His tone was playful against my lips when his hand slipped further down, running over the buttons on his shirt that I had stolen. My cheeks flushed at being called out on my guilty actions. Deciding it would be easier to get his mind off of it, I went with boldness.

"Well you smell good and your shirts are comfy." I nipped at his bottom lip and he ran his blue eyed gaze over my face. He stepped back from me, taking my hands into his. A lopsided smirk showed as his eyes glinted with a playful spirit.

"Is that so, wolfy?" He taunted with a grin. It was fascinating how he could be such a sexy and taunting man. I arched my brows at him curiously, noticing the change in song or lack there of. For some reason my Ipod decided it would be nice to repeat the song and I had a feeling it could have been cause by my emotions or because I had it copied over multiple times. Isn't it true that magic can be run like that, by emotion? He pulled me close to him, interlocking our fingers and placing his other hand on my waist. I bit my lip, hesitating as I slowly lifted my hand to his shoulder. As we started to dance we swayed slowly to the music. My heart was thudding in my chest which was pressed oh so close to his muscled one, when I felt Damon's intense gaze on me. He was smiling sweetly as I peeked back up at him. In our listless dance we rotated in a circle, watching each other and taking each other in. He spun me out and when he pulled me back we paused in our steps. A second later our lips were locked together in a passionate kiss. This time he let me take over and I explored his mouth shyly with my tongue.

Damon assaulted my neck with hungry kisses when I pulled back for air. My hands worked their way up his shoulders and into his ebony lock while I panted softly, leaning my head back. He was truly irresistible and I couldn't help but let a light moan escape my lips. I felt the corners of his lips quirk up in a confident smirk on my pulse and I knew I had to put him back in his place. I pulled back from his sinful lips and faced a very pouty Damon.

"Nah ah, that's a bad Damon." I teased with a laugh, which only made him stand to full height since he had been leaning down to assault my body with his irresistibleness. Well I shouldn't say irresistible, cause ya know I just totally resisted that skillful tongue and sculpted body. My human side swooned when her imagination of what Damon and I could be doing went wild. He crossed his arms and arched a brow at me.

"You know you want all of this." He stated boldly, gesturing to his body. I pursed my lips at his antics, but another amused laugh fell from my lips. He was so self assured about his physical appearance. So bold, so egotistical, and so damn sexy. Damon must have caught on to my musings, because a smirk worked its way onto his lips once more. I blinked and the next thing I knew was that I was very much in the muscular arms of Damon Salvatore.

"What are you doing?" I squeaked when he decided it would be nice to scare me to death with the speedy vampire run. The wind whipped through my hair and I buried my face into his chest, trying to calm my racing heart. Oh my. When I felt the air stop moving so fast around me I lifted my head from his chest and looked around. We were in his room and well my brows furrowed in confusion. "Why are we here?" I questioned as he walked over to his bed, still holding me bridal style in those arms of his. He placed me down on his large and unruly bed. I'm just going to guess that Rose spent a lot of time in her today.

"We are going to get some sleep." He walked around to the other side of the bed and in the process started to take off his shirt. I flushed at the sight of his bare chest as the shirt fell to the floor. Well while he was wanting to sleep I was currently fighting the urge to jump him and taste that beautiful abdomen. Damon sat down on the edge of the bed and I took the opportunity to crawl over to him, placing my hands on his shoulders and lightly massaging the stress out of them. I stayed quiet as he relaxed under my touch. Having a surge of courage I leaned down, pressing my lips to his neck and running kisses down to his upper back. "Thank you." He voice was soft and sincere. I knew exactly why he was thanking me. I hadn't been judgy like most and labeled him as a monster. I was still here and I was his friend, though some part of me wished for more. Right here and now he was letting me in.

"Come on let's go to sleep." I whispered and moved back from him to kick off my shoes and pull off my skin tight skinny jeans. When I finished I caught his blue eyed gaze on me. I offered him a small smile and slid myself into the blankets. A moment later and I found myself cuddled closely against Damon. His arms were wound around me and my chest was pressed close to his. I interlocked our legs, thankful for the warmth his form provided. Damon's lips found their way to my hair, placing a light kiss there.

"Goodnight Willow." he said tenderly and I felt my heart swell up with a happiness. This was indeed the best birthday a girl could ask for in my opinion. I had spent time with two incredible men. Well vampires but you get the point. I even successfully used my magic without killing anyone or any forest. Elena and Caroline both got my more bitchy side and Damon and Elijah saw my lively side. Elijah saw weakness and strength. I saw his carelessly free side. With Damon I witnessed the worst and gained the ultimate birthday present, his trust and care. While I had been close to them and almost more intimate, Elijah and Damon both respected me. They didn't move to push further when I backed out. I truly must wonder what kind of lecture I should expect from both Koda and Moose tomorrow. That is if I have time to spend with them. Every day was full of adventure and hardships but it seemed worth it in the end. Damon's breathing evened out and I knew he was asleep now so I nuzzled my face against his neck, letting myself find some much needed rest. After all Damon's blood does end up leading to a headache and it was currently starting to throb inside my skull.

So I hope you all liked it. Don't be afraid to review and give me your honest opinion. They are indeed what pushes me onward to write for you all. Review and earn my love and more chapters fitted to your ideas and opinions. I really can't wait to introduce Klaus to Willow. Oh I'm so giddy about that upcoming event. Review and love me. Will start writing next chapter now, bye everybody. :3


	6. Chapter 6

So I finally finished the chapter. A lot of things kept getting in the way of finishing it, but I prevailed and well here it is. I own only Willow, Moose, and Koda. Please leave at least a few reviews. It would really be nice. I love the support I get in follows and favorites but I'm dying in the review portion of your support. Anyways thank you all for waiting and enjoy. :)

Damon was in the shower while I lay in the comfort of the blankets, basking in the sun that shone through the windows. He had left to shower, shortly after waking up. However, before leaving he had held me to him and rubbed soothing circles over my back for a little while. It was a nice and comforting gesture. It made me wonder if how he was feeling about last night's events. I had refrained from turning over and cuddling myself back into his side then, but I slightly regretted it because I failed to fall back asleep even after he left for a shower. The sound of the shower water cascading down Damon's lean body wasn't even enough to lure me back to sleep. Not only that but the TV was on and the news was giving reports on all the recent deaths in Mystic Falls. Obviously Mystic Falls was not the safest place to live. A small town like this always had its secrets to be unburied.

"The authorities believe last night's assailant may also be related to the missing campers and Park ranger who have yet to be found as well as 25 year old Jessica Koenig, reported missing this morning. The sheriff department says investigations are pending and no further comment will be made." Damon walked into the room in some type of daze, looking up to the TV which now flashed a picture of his latest victim. Poor Jessica, she was so young. On the Brightside of things, she died looking young and without a wrinkle. He seemed lost in thought as a guilty crease furrowed itself on his brow. I stayed silent, running my eyes over his glorious form. He was a beautiful nightmare to say the least. He was a predator like no other and he struggled to keep his humanity. I guess it would be pretty hard to do after being rejected so much. The droplets of water rolled down his skin and into the fabric of the towel wrapped around his waist. My aura reached out to his in an effort to comfort his dark and dreary one. He was self-loathing right now and I felt that he had no reason to be. In my opinion these insecurities formed from Elena and Stefan always making him out to be the monster. Damon turned to head back into the still running shower he had left just to embrace the guilt of taking her life. He hadn't noticed my staring and I was thankful for that.

I grimaced in thought and rolled over in the mess of his bed. I was tired still and my head was still a little foggy. Most likely from drinking down a few gulps of his blood last night. It was a sign that I should close my eyes and fall back to sleep until Damon returned to bed with me. He really should just come back to bed. I started to think of all the things that Damon would face after killing Jessica. Damon didn't deserve the look of disappointment from Elena and Stefan. He was a vampire. He was accepting what he was and that was great. He wasn't human, but he did have a lot more humanity than he showed. His one weakness was that he could never be human again and he wanted it. He probably wanted it more than Stefan or Caroline. He couldn't help the self-destructive actions that they brought out in him. I sighed deeply and closed my eyes needing a little more sleep before I faced Damon. However, instead of the darkness that usually came with the closure of eyelids I found myself in a dark forest. I blinked open my eyes a few times to see if the scene disappeared but it didn't. What the hell is this? My head snapped around at the sound of rustling off to my left. There with torches and a body in arms was a whole mob of men. Men dressed in some old fashioned type clothing. There was a carriage a few yards away on an old dirt road. The gun the horseman behind them carried was some sort of musket. So I'm going to guess that I'm in some creepy old vision of where ever this is. The men set up whomever they were carrying against the carriage and surprisingly put some sort of muzzle over his face.

"Get him in."

"We have to get to the church. They're waiting." One of the men urged as he kind of backed off from the others that were currently placing the muzzled man into the back of the cell like carriage. I saw him glance at some sort of pocket watch. Maybe he was checking the time.

"Circle around that way. I'll distract them. Go." My head snapped around again when I heard Stefan's familiar voice. I turned just in time to see an old fashioned dressed Damon sprint off into the darkness. Stefan was actually kind of adorable in the old garbs. He lacked his usual hairdo due to the lack of hair gel in a time like this. I stepped into his line of vision, waving my hands to get his attention but it failed. He couldn't see me at all. I took a hint and looked down at myself, noticing that I was transparent like a ghost. Well then. "Over here! There's another one! Quick! Help me!" Stefan called, grabbing the men's attention as he started to run off in a different direction than Damon. I almost went to follow him to see what exactly was going on, but stopped as I turned my attention back to the carriage. The brothers were definitely up to something so I decided to wait and see.

"Arm yourselves." The man whom commanded the mob earlier ordered. They did so and started to chase after Stefan through the forestry. I stepped to the side when one of them almost ran into me. It was instinct. I noticed that only one man was left to guard the prison cell of a carriage. I wonder what exactly they're capturing. They were probably vampires considering they had muzzled the man. Or it could be Hannibal? Seems legit. I watched closely when the lone guard went to ready his gun in case of attack. Too bad he was a little too late, because Damon delivered a solid punch to the man's face. He fell to the ground unconscious. Phew, he could really pack a punch. I picked up on this angelic innocence in Damon's aura. It even came through in his appearance. His face looked softer, even though he was concerned and freaking out internally. He even had the cutest curls in his hair. I smiled at the sight. He was so beautiful.

Damon bent down over the man's limp body, digging his hands into his pockets. I heard the jingle of a key ring as he pulled it from the confines of the man's trousers. Trousers fit the time frame I was currently experiencing. I wonder if Damon and Stefan are human right now though. I wasn't exactly all knowing about their past. I only knew that Damon had a deep seated hatred for whatever Katherine and Stefan had done to him in the past. Well this was the past, so. He took the key to the carriage door as he shuffled the ring for the right key. Stefan came running from the other side of the dirt road, panting lightly. Well that was quick.

"We don't have long." Stefan warned just before Damon got the door open. Yay, Damon! Good work, I cheered internally with a grin. He had made quick work of the guard and gotten the door unlocked in an amazingly short amount of time.

"Katherine. Katherine." He called into the depths and darkness of the carriage. I moved closer to the brothers to see exactly what was all in the carriage. There were bodies of vampires piled high and each of them was bound tightly with a muzzle over their face. Katherine shifted to show them her location and both Damon and Stefan grabbed a hold of her, pulling her out of her prison. They placed her down gently onto the dirt road and Damon worked on pulling the muzzle from her face immediately. She wasn't moving too much and I wondered why. Katherine seemed to be weak and dazed. Kind of like how she was in the cavern or tomb where the church burned down.

"We're going to get you out of here." Damon assured, working with Stefan to free Katherine from the ropes binding her wrists together. Wow, Damon really was head over heels for her in this time frame. They both were. It reminded me of how they protected Elena. That made my heart ache.

"Damon, hurry. Hurry." Stefan urged as they finally got most of the rope off. A gun shot cut through the night air and I watched in horror as Damon fell back after taking the blow.

"No!" Stefan cried while leaving Katherine's side to go to his fallen brother. I flashed to Damon's side, kneeling down and taking his hand in my transparent one. This may have been just a flashback of some sort but I felt all of the heartbreak and sadness swell up in my heart. "No." Stefan cupped his brother's cheek as Damon struggled to take his last few breaths. I leaned down, gently placing a kiss to Damon's cheek as the life faded from him. "Damon." Stefan whispered before turning his attention to the sound of the mob rushing back through the woods and the startled whines of the horses. Well obviously it wasn't them that shot Damon.

"Come on. Let's go." Were phrases jumbled with others to urge the men forward. I watched as Stefan pushed up from his kneeling position at his brother's side and ran to grab a gun. I winced as I heard another reverberating shot. When I looked over to Stefan he was falling to the ground. My head whipped around in search of the shooter but I must have been too late. Whoever it was had already run off.

I cast one last look back to Damon and then suddenly the world was shifting again. My eyes opened to the dreary daylight and I blinked in confusion. Taking a look around I took in my surroundings. I was in some old shack like thing, which had no walls exactly. It was definitely worn down. I could see a wounded Stefan laying unconscious beside me. He awoke with a start and I jumped in shock. Damn, give a girl a heart attack why don't you? He hurriedly started to unbutton his shirt which was stained with his blood. Um, that's attractive. He opened the shirt, running his hands over his flawless skin, searching for the wound that had mysteriously disappeared. In his search for the wound he discovered the daylight ring on his finger. Um, how exactly did I know what that's called? I shook it off as an assumption and looked up when I heard someone approaching.

"Katherine had me make that for you weeks ago." The sweet voice of a mysterious woman reached my ears. She was dark skinned and beautiful. She also gave out this strange vibe. Was she a witch? Well that would explain the making of the ring.

"Where am I?" Stefan inquired, looking up to her from his sitting position as she walked up the few steps into the shack.

"The quarry just north of town. My brother and I brought you here last night. We found you dead in the woods." Mystery woman answered as she placed down a bundle of wood that she had been carrying. She stood looking down on Stefan and I once more.

"Where's Damon?" Stefan asked the key question and she turned her gaze to somewhere behind us. I turned and Stefan did the same. There sitting in the yellow grass of this country land, just by the water's side was a shirtless Damon. I felt a smile tug at my lips to see that he was alive. Or well a vampire. There was still a weight lifted off my heart to see that he wasn't dead and I wasn't going to wake up crying after all of this. I truly valued his company in life. "Am I... Am I a...?"

"Not yet. You're in transition." Emily answered Stefan's trailed off wonders. So they're not vampires yet? There's a choice to live or die? Judging by the aura, surrounding Damon, I could tell from that alone that he wanted to die. He was miserable and lost. I bit my lip in worry.

"But how? I..." Stefan was really confused by the fact that he was even in transition. He seemed to be unaware of the fact that he had taken in any form of vampire blood.

"You had Katherine's blood in your system when you died."

"No. I never..." He denied, unsure of whether it was indeed the truth or not. Why was he so confused by this? He was Katherine's lover after all. I'm sure most vampires feed their blood to their human lovers. It kind of seemed to be the norm.

"She's been compelling you to drink it for weeks, Stefan." Emily confessed.

"And Damon?"

"No compulsion was necessary. He drank from her willingly." Well I didn't blame him at all. I actually didn't really mind feeding from Damon. Mostly because it was to make me better after some injury. I mean come on that's state of the art medicine. I flashed to Damon's side by the water. I had the urge to be near him in his time of misery and pain. I wanted to comfort him. I sat silently in the grass beside him, just letting my aura wrap itself soothingly around his distressed one. Stefan walked over a few moments later. He stopped a few paces behind Damon and I.

"I woke up last night. I didn't know where I was. I went to the church. And I watched them drag her inside. Then they set fire to it. And the whole church went up into flames. They killed her, Stefan. She's gone." Damon's blank stare melted into a pool of sadness as he spoke these words. His voice showing that he was indeed on the verge of tears. I took his hand in mine, rubbing my thumb over the back of his larger hand. I leaned against his shoulder and I could feel his skin against my transparent body. Stefan left us after Damon's tale of what happened during Stefan's unconsciousness. I glanced back at him silently, watching as he went up to the shack and stripped off his shirt before throwing it over his shoulder and coming back with a water pail. I lay back in the grass, enjoying the sun and breeze. It felt nice even when Damon started tossing pieces of rocks out into the waters. Stefan walked past us and dipped the pail into the water.

"I bet Johnathan Gilbert has told father by now. Wonder how he took the news that we're dead." He stated while walking back and setting down the pail before taking a seat next to the blank Damon. He was kind of dazed and lost. He was hurt. Stefan pulled his shirt from his shoulder as Damon pulled a rag from the grass in-between us and dipped it into the water.

"As if he cares. He betrayed us." Damon retorted, scrubbing at his dirtied hands.

"He thought he was protecting us, Damon. He thought he was protecting this town." Stefan defended and I grimaced. I wonder if their father would have shot them. I wonder if it was him that had hidden away in the woods.

"God. This sun hurts my eyes." Damon complained, squinting his eyes to keep the rising sun out of them. Though they really were beautiful with the sun lighting them up.

"It's part of it. The muscle aches, the sick feeling...Emily says it's our bodies pushing us to feed, to complete the transition." So that's who the witchy chick is. Well Emily is kind of cute. Though she gave me this weird vibe. She had kept glancing over to me even though I knew I was invisible to them. After all this wasn't my memory.

"That's not gonna happen." Damon stated and my jaw dropped. What? He can't just not change into a vampire. I mean come on he's all cute and innocent right now, but I do indeed like present Damon very much.

"Is that your choice, then? To die instead?" Damon continued to scrub at his hands and his shirt but he turned his gaze on his brother.

"Isn't it yours? This was all to be with Katherine. But she's gone. I want it over." I frowned. He was so clueless to the fact that she was all for Stefan, just like Elena was. I mean it sucked how both doppelgangers of me were just stringing this poor soul along. He pulled on his shirt and then the world shifted again. It was night now and I was sitting next to Damon in the worn out shack.

He was dying. I could feel it as his aura weakened. Stefan was gone and I didn't have a clue when he would return. Hopefully it was before his brother passed on without completing the transition. I turned to look over my shoulder, hearing a rustle in the grass behind us. There coming towards us was Stefan and there was just something off about him. His aura was tainted and wild. He was bringing along a girl. A young and ordinary girl. She was strangely silent by his side. Who is she? I wondered while Damon shifted to look at his brother and the girl.

"What are you doing? Who is that?" He sounded groggy, but it was probably from his weakening body. Stefan at least had a shirt on now and sadly so did Damon.

"I brought her for you. She's a gift. Have a seat, please." Stefan's words had Damon looking at him like he had lost his mind. I think Stefan really did lose his mind. The girl obediently took a seat on the steps that lead into the shack.

"What have you done, Stefan?" Damon questioned, looking from Stefan and the girl and back again. He was thoroughly confused by what was going on.

"Damon, I've been to see father. He came at me. I didn't know my own strength. There was blood everywhere. He was dying, and the blood was too strong. I needed it. I had to have it." Stefan was gesturing dramatically with his hands as he told the story of how he killed his own father and completed the transition.

"You fed." I felt a spike of anger in Damon's aura. Oh boy.

"Yes. And it's incredible. My body is exploding with power, Damon."

"No." Damon groaned looking away from his brother in disappointment. This was a scary Stefan. He was so overjoyed with being a vampire while in present day he seemed to dread it.

"I can hear things from far away. I can see through the darkness. I can move, like it's magic. And the guilt, the pain...Damon, I can turn it off. Like a switch. Katherine was right. It's a whole another world out there, Damon." Stefan continued with his gestures but moved to cup Damon's cheek as he uttered the last few words. The girl was still strangely sitting on the steps like a robot while Damon moved to get up.

"Katherine is dead, Stefan. There's no world without her." I felt a swell of jealously in my heart and shook my head at his words. If only he knew how much he'd come to hate her in the future. Damon stumbled away but Stefan caught him.

"No. You can turn that off, too. You don't have to feel that pain anymore." Stefan argued, turning his brother around and wrapping his hands around his throat. Hey, get your hands off of him! I chastised Stefan mentally. I stood to move in front of the robotic girl. Maybe she was compelled. I mean after all Stefan was exploding with power.

"I don't want it." Damon pushed one of Stefan's hands away but Stefan gripped his upper arm. I was surprised by how much he was fighting it. He was so broken by Katherine's death. Well she wasn't dead so obviously she found some way out of that fire.

"You're weak. You'll be dead soon. You need this." Stefan gripped his brother's neck tightly once more, holding the weakened Damon prisoner. He moved back to grab the girl but I felt his grip on me. My eye widened in shock and I moved to pull away but his grip was so strong. What the hell is happening?

"No. I can't" Damon whimpered defiantly, struggling to get his brother's hold off of him. Suddenly I couldn't move anymore. I was paralyzed as Stefan's face demented into that of a vampire. His fangs lengthened and before I could even try to get away his fangs punctured my neck causing a shocked cry to spring from my lips. The look on Damon's face was horror stricken. Those blue eyes were filled with so much disappointment and fear. The air was silent for a moment except for my labored breathing. Stefan's fangs hurt like hell.

"I won't let you die." He gripped his brother's throat with both hands once more. I tried to move and only managed to wiggle my fingers. Shit. I needed to get out of here before Stefan got me killed.

"No. I can't." Thank you Damon. I'm happy at least he appreciates my need for my own blood. Unlike psycho Stefan over here.

"Don't fight it. We can do this... together." Stefan's hand came to my shoulder and Damon seemed to become more dazed as Stefan brought him closer to me.

"Damon don't." I pleaded. I mean they could touch me so obviously they could probably hear me. He moved forward hesitantly, not hearing a word I said. I felt my hands gain more movement and I felt a little relief. Which was long gone when he leaned forward, maneuvering his lips to the wound on my neck. I sucked in a shuddering breath as his lips pressed against the tender skin. His breath was hot against my skin and my heart was racing inside my chest. He suckled on the wounds, gulping down my blood as it flowed into his awaiting lips. The sound made me clench my eyes shut. When he pulled back I couldn't even look at him. I just prayed silently that this would be over soon. His newly grown fangs sunk into my neck harshly and I screamed into the night, my hands coming up to push at his chest. It hurt so much. He was draining me quickly in his hunger while I struggled in his grip. "Stop Damon you're killing me!" I cried out as his grip came to rest on my wrists tightly. They felt like they would snap under the pressure.

"Willow. Willow stop it. Calm down. Damn it Willow!" Someone was shouting at me as I fought to stay alive. Then my eyes snapped open in shock while whoever was shouting at me pressed their lips against mine. I blinked a few times, acknowledging that it was a present day Damon that had me pinned beneath him on his bed. After a moment of taking in that I was finally out of that terrible flashback I kissed him back gently. His grip loosened on my wrists and I smiled against his warm lips that thankfully weren't stained with my blood. His aura was wrapped around mine comforting it. When he pulled back I stared up into those icy blue eyes. They were so beautiful and filled with concern. We silently gazed at each other until Stefan came bursting into the room.

"What's going on?" He asked sternly as his brow furrowed and he glared at Damon's position on top of me. At the sight of him I cowered under Damon which got me some curious stares.

"I don't know, Stefan." He retorted before looking down at me with an arched brow. I bit down on my lip nervously and shook my head at him. He grimaced at my reaction before turning to his brother. "She doesn't want to talk about it. I'll talk to you in a little while. Now leave."

"Damon..." Stefan went to protest but Damon's glare shot him down. I watched as Stefan shut the door to Damon's room and left us in peace. Although he was fuming about the fact that his own brother was all shirtless on top of me. This would most likely earn me a good lecture from Elena. When the door clicked shut I peeked up to see a stern faced Damon.

"What did I do?" I questioned innocently. He rolled his eyes at me and plopped down beside me on the bed. I rolled into his side and laid my head on his bare chest, which was still all moisturized from the shower.

"Are you going to tell me what was going on in that little head of yours first, wolfy?" He replied with a question and I sighed deeply. Well this was going to be just brilliant wasn't it? I propped myself up on and elbow and looked at him. He was so beautiful and well perfect. All of his flaws were just icing on the cake. I truly hated the feeling of losing him that the flashback had given me. I trailed my fingers over his chest lazily and his brow furrowed in confusion. I smiled at him and plopped my head back down on his chest.

"I saw a flashback. It was you and Stefan transitioning into vampires. Stefan was crazed with his new found powers and he made you feed. I was there and instead of grabbing the random girl he grabbed me and you were killing me." I confessed, turning my gaze to the rays of sunlight slipping through the curtains. His aura filled with a sense of dread but I didn't understand why exactly. Maybe, it was because he didn't want to kill me. All I know was that when his hand intertwined with mine over his chest, I felt a flying feeling grow in my chest. A smile graced my lips and I lightly placed a kiss to his bare chest before sitting up on the bed.

"Don't hate him, Willow." My brows furrowed at his words. When his gaze turned to mine I realized he had been talking about Stefan. I shook my head at him with a grin.

"I don't hate him yet. I mean he hasn't been the nicest and he's all save Elena, but he did try to include me when it comes to helping out." I sat back on my legs, looking down at him. That chest was so sculpted in every perfect possible way. He grimaced at me. "You on the other hand, my dear friend, should stop chasing after my annoying sister. She's just going to keep stringing you along with her little moments and always go run to Stefan in the end."

"How did you know?" Damon inquired with an arched brow and parted lips. He ran his hand along the bar skin of my thigh as he awaited an answer. I felt the familiar feeling of a blush creep up on my cheeks.

"I pay attention. I take in all things around me. I'm like a fly on the wall. It might not seem like I'm listening but I am." I answered, moving his wandering hand off of my thigh. He frowned at my answer and the fact that I had moved his hand away.

"Do you still feel the same? Do you still not fear me?" His questions drew my attention from my lap and back to his face. His eyes were a darkened blue showing that he was confused and feeling some hidden emotion. I sighed and leaned down over him. I moved my head forward, arms holding me up as I pressed my lips chastely against his. Damon arched up, trying to pull me in for a much deeper kiss, but I pulled back grinning at him evilly in the curtain of my long hair that surround over faces. His arms came around me, pulling me closer to his half-naked body. The touch of his lips had me melting on the inside as he moved his lips against my willing ones. I felt his lips quirk up in a smirk when he took notice of my eagerness to return the kiss I had denied him a moment ago.

"I don't fear you, Damon. I fear what you are making me feel." I answered, breathlessly when I pulled back from his sinful lips. His hand cupped my cheek as he looked at me with those icy blue depths.

"What exactly do I make you feel?"

"I don't know, that's the problem. You need to go talk with your brother before he starts getting ideas about us." I mumbled, feeling a little down and lost. I really don't know what Damon made me feel. Both he and Elijah had awakened emotions I let go of a long time ago. I didn't need them back then. After all no one gave me the time of day other than Grams and Tyler. I had settled on having a lonely and free life. Damon pressed a short and sweet kiss against my lips before releasing me. He seemed a little downcast himself. I think maybe it was because I didn't want Stefan getting ideas. I didn't want anyone making any assumptions until I knew for myself what I wanted. For one I did want Damon. For another I wanted Elijah. Oh boy this is just making my brain hurt.

"I'll be back in a little while. Take a shower if you want." He stated as he got up from the bed and picked up a shirt to throw on before he went to talk to Stefan. I heaved a sigh and shook my head sadly. Whelp off to the shower for me. I picked myself up from the bed and lazily made my way to Damon's elegant bathroom. A chill ran up my spine when my feet touched the cool flooring in the room. Before I stripped off my dirty clothes I turned on the hot water. With a burst of air the water started to pour out onto the tiles of the shower. I waited for it to warm up a little before I fumbled with the buttons on Damon's shirt. Next came the hooks on my bra and then off came my purple panties. I rolled my shoulders back before taking a step into the stream of water.

It felt nice as my muscles loosened and relaxed under the steady stream of hot water. The steam formed, fogging up the glass walls of the shower. I took a deep breath, channeling a source of concentration before deciding to shift. I focused on my ears so that my hearing would heighten more than it already was with being a druid.

"You brought back John Gilbert? That was your big save Elena move?" Damon's exasperated voice reached my ears. I winced slightly at the loudness and quickly went to lower the intensity of the sound. Why were they talking about my uncle? I grimaced, pouring Damon's shampoo into my hand and scrubbing it through my hair.

"I went to go look for Isobel and I get John instead. He said he can help us and we're desperate." Stefan was elaborating the reason behind getting my uncle's help. I hadn't seen Uncle John in a while. Not even when I had moved to Mystic Falls after my mother's death did I see him. He was a buzz kill in my childhood though. Always ruined my drinking habits at the bar. I was a persuasive teen and most of the bar tenders felt some sort of pity from me.

"We're not that desperate, Stefan. The guy tried to barbecue me!" What? Why would John try to kill Damon? I really did need someone that could just catch me up on every little thing I missed out on. Maybe I could find a way to get Elena's flashbacks to me. I mean maybe I could even ask Bonnie for an explanation. Stefan was really rude though. He could've included me in the life-needs-saving group. I just needed a little recognition from my sister's group of friends and I would feel much better.

"Damon, Bonnie's new witch friend is working with Elijah so we have to assume that the moonstone was never destroyed . Elena is putting all of her faith into some deal that she made with Elijah to keep everyone safe. I mean, do you trust Elijah? I don't trust him. He's an original, he can't be trusted. It's not like we can just go up and kill him because apparently he can't die!" Whoa they tried to destroy the moonstone and now they're trying to go behind Elena's back to kill Elijah again. I chewed my lip in frustration. Elijah was a good guy. I mean I really wish they would stop making him out to be the bad guy. He's not the Original that's trying to sacrifice Elena and I.

"I'm still waiting for the part where John Gilbert is the answer." Damon retorted with animosity. Well he didn't like Uncle John that's for sure. I kept eavesdropping on their conversation but I started to scrub off my body considering I had stopped to listen.

"He knew about the sacrifice. Isobel told him. He said he knew of a way to keep Elena safe." Okay, so who's Isobel? I mean seriously they could give a little more detail as to who these people are. I sighed and scrubbed harshly at my skin unconsciously. Uncle John was Elena's father and there was a tie between him and this Isobel. Could she be our vampire mother?

"And how do we do that?" Damon questioned, giving Stefan a chance to prove he had done something right for them.

"He's not talking. At least not to me anyway." He failed.

"Great work Stefan. Top notch. As if I didn't have enough problems." Damon praised his brother sarcastically. I grinned at his antics. He was so cute with all of his sarcasm and frustration at the fact his brother was an idiot most of the time. I laughed silently to myself while stepping out of the shower.

"What's going on with you and Willow?" Stefan inquired, prying for explanation for this morning. Damon heaved a sigh and I stopped in my tracks after pulling a towel around myself. What was he going to say?

"Nothing that concerns you, Stefan. It's not going to ruin you and Elena." Damon dodged the question and I smiled. He started to walk away from Stefan and I moved into his room to get changed in another set of clothes stolen from him.

"Hey, I'm sorry about Rose." Damon halted in his steps, turning to face his younger brother.

"Whatever. I knew the woman for 5 minutes." He tried to act tough and blow off his brother's questions, but I had a feeling Stefan would call him out on it. Damon had hesitated in his reply after all.

"And you cared about her after 5 minutes and you care about Willow. I wonder what that means." Oh no, he called Damon out on having some form of feelings toward me. I bit my lip nervously. It was a good thing they didn't know I could eavesdrop so well.

"It means I care, Stefan. It means I'm changing evolving into a man capable of greatness. Better watch your back because I may just have to go get a hero hairdo of my own and steal your thunder." Damon retorted and confessed with venom in his tone. I smiled at his little jibe at Stefan's hairdo. I was just pulling up my skinnies after sliding on one of the bras from Damon's one night stand drawer and stealing more of his boxer briefs when he walked in.

"Hey." I greeted, combing out my wet hair with my fingers. He had a soured look and feeling about him, but he walked over to me anyway.

"Getting confident, are we?" he teased with a lopsided smirk as he smoothed back a stray piece of hair behind my ear. I smiled up at him and he got his playful glint back in his eyes. I knew he was still upset over the loss of Rose. I actually kind of missed Rose. She was nice to look at and she was different. Damon's hand traveled after a droplet of water that was falling down from my neck. I watched curiously while he traced the left over line and finally caught the droplet on his finger.

"So, what are we doing today?" I questioned, hoping to draw the attention away from my half-dressed self. He shook his head to clear away his thoughts before looking at me with those blue orbs.

"Well we are going to pay your Uncle John a visit. C'mon let's go." He gestured to the shirt I had in my hands and I quickly pulled it over my head. It was a black V-neck which smelt and felt amazing. Really, I'm probably not helping push away the ideas Elena and everyone else are getting about Damon and I. He's my best friend and so what if I might have feelings for him. I also had Elijah tugging at my heart strings. I mean can I catch a break. I slipped into my chucks, considering I might need them and tapped my hand against my pocket to make sure my phone was still there. Luckily it was and so off Damon and I went to hunt down Uncle John. I hopped in the shot gun seat of his Camaro. He got in beside me and started the car. Truly I loved this classic car. He kept it all nice and shiny. A nice car was like a man's baby.

"So who's Isobel?" I asked after a few moments of silence in the car.

Damon turned to me with an arched brow. I turned my gaze out to the forest, briefly remembering that I hadn't heard or seen my pack since the night before. Their scent had even faded in the area around the Salvatore house.

"Eavesdropping?" He returned and I sighed deeply.

"What else am I supposed to do? I feel so left out all the time." I confessed exasperatedly feeling myself start to lose control of my emotions. His hand rubbed along my thigh and my attention snapped to him. He was looking at me with a concerned look in those baby blue eyes. I gave him a half-hearted smile.

"She's your mother. She isn't the best mother figure ever." Damon answered my earlier question. Well one down and many to go.

"Did you used to be less human?"

"Yes. I'm a vampire. I can just shut it off." He snapped a little and I reached out placing my hand on his shoulder. His aura had flared at my question and I felt bad for even asking it. He was perfect in all of his flaws to me. I would be there to stop him from losing all of his humanity because people had a right to lose their temper. Vampires had a right to lose theirs too.

"I like you just the way you are." I whispered softly, hesitating to even clue him in as to how I felt about him. I was still unsure myself. He and Elijah were just so confusing. Before the conversation could continue any further we pulled up in front of Elena's house. My brow furrowed in confusion until I remembered that Uncle John stayed here when visiting. I got out of the car and followed after Damon to the front door. He gave a swift knock before Elena opened the door to us. She looked a little confused to see us here but she stepped back, allowing us entrance into the house.

"Where's John?" Damon didn't waste any time getting to the point as he strolled right past my sister. I did a mental victory dance at the fact he hadn't glued his eyes to her. What if this meant he was finally backing off of her? I sniffed the air and found a faint trace of Uncle John's scent but it wasn't really any kind of permanence. He might have swung by but he definitely wasn't here.

"He's not here, he left. I don't know where he went. He just blew in, announced to Jenna that he's my dad and then took off." Elena replied, sounding a bit stressed by the situation.

"That's public knowledge now?" Damon inquired dramatically. Elena kept side glancing at me as Damon walked further into the house, peeking around for the Uncle John that wasn't here. I offered a tight lipped smile to help ease my sister's distress.

"Apparently."

"Are you okay?" He asked, voice filled with some sort of concern for my sister's feelings. He walked back towards us. I released a sad sigh standing next to my sister, however, the smell of her coffee made me ecstatic. I suddenly remembered that I hadn't eaten for a while yet again. I swear I need like a timer to remind me to eat something during all of this mess.

"Yeah. Jenna's head spinning but I'm okay." She answered, picking up her green mug of coffee and sipping at it. Oh it smelled so good. I'm glad I could focus my scent target on certain smells, because if not my stomach would've been growling like a lion.

"Jenna didn't know?" I asked meekly from my spot beside Elena. She turned her attention to me, cup still in hand. She offered it to me after she swallowed down what she had taken in. I smiled and took it from her, sipping at it gingerly and worshipping the taste. Maybe, I could be closer to Elena. All she had to do was offer me some coffee.

"No she's in the dark about almost everything. Uncle John is just adding to the stress." She stated and I nodded my head in answer. I was still sipping down the hot coffee as Damon joined back into the conversation.

"He said what he was doing here?" He questioned, giving yet another chance for Stefan to be proved right about bringing back my Uncle John. I handed back the almost empty mug and Elena brought it back to her lips, taking another sip.

"No. You know, Stefan thinks that he's telling the truth about wanting to help me." Well Stefan isn't the brightest out of all of us. To be honest Damon was pretty smart about everything he did.

"Do you believe him?"

"No. I don't believe him for a second." Elena replied easily. Well at least she still isn't on Uncle John's side. She used to be overjoyed every time he dragged me home. It usually meant that she got to lecture me like she lectured the druggy version of Jeremy. As a matter of fact Jeremy and I were only nine months apart in age. We were Irish twins. I was born around a year after Elena. Oh anyway back to the conversation.

"Me neither." Damon agreed.

"Me three!" I did a little fist pump and got weird stares from both Elena and Damon. Oh c'mon I'm just trying to live a little. I was seventeen. It was definitely time to party and be ridiculous. Well maybe not at the moment but you get my point.

"What are we gonna do?" Elena questioned.

"Beat him!" Ok I was still a little cheerful. I was internally hoping to gain my sister's approval. This statement did not bode well for that internal goal.

"Kill him." Well thank you Damon. He walked past Elena and I. That statement was definitely about twenty times worse than mine. It was definitely an option too. I could seek revenge for all my killed buzzes and Damon could get back at him for trying to roast him.

"Damon…" Elena called, getting ready to lecture him. He stopped in his tracks and turned around.

"I'm joking. Okay, I'm a little serious." He said sarcastically with a smirk. I grinned at the sight of that sexy smirk. Mm, I could just eat him up.

"Damon!"

"I'm not gonna hurt him, Elena. I'm the good guy now, remember?" He gestured and turned to face Elena, walking back to her. Happy feelings gone. I felt a tug on my jealous heart strings at his close proximity to her.

"What does that mean?" She asked, brows furrowed. I huffed and nudged past Damon, heading back out to the car. I felt his hand try to grip my arm but I pulled it away from his reach.

"I'm gonna have a civil conversation with your father." He didn't sound to thrilled about Elena's chastising or the fact I had brushed him off to leave. I couldn't help it though. He knew I didn't feel like seeing him ogle at my sister who was all over his brother. She always tugged at his heart strings even though she had Stefan. It made me so frustrated. So frustrated that my fangs began to protrude into my mouth as my aura flared. I took a deep breath to calm myself and got back into the Camaro.

"Wait, I'm coming with you." I heard Elena state and I grew even more annoyed. When they settled into the car for the drive I still couldn't relax. "Willow are you feeling okay?" she asked from the back seat, her voice containing some concern.

"I'm perfectly fine." I replied dryly, flashing a glare over to Damon. His blue orbs cast a side glance over to me, not trying to indicate to Elena that he was indeed concerned with my behavior.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I mean I'm living the life. I get dragged into some vampire mess. I can't find my pack for the life of me. It's just perfect." I vented, letting out all of my frustrations on both Damon and Elena. "I wouldn't even be in this mess if it wasn't for you being all lovey dovey with a pair of vampire brothers." I finished and the car was silent. I peeked over at Damon when I picked up on the hurt inside of his aura. His brow was furrowed, his knuckles white from clenching the wheel, and his lips were pressed in a thin line.

"I'm sorry." Was the simple apology I received from my sister. The car ride was silent, other than the gentle purr of the engine. I just kept staring out the window. Letting the sights take me away from the tense atmosphere inside the car.

"Listen it's not really your fault. I have to tell you something Elena about the night father died." I paused taking a deep breath to get my thoughts in order. It was time for me to tell her about everything that happened the night of the accident. "That night after you left the bonfire I lost control. I didn't understand what was happening. I just transformed and I was so scared I just kept running and then I was on the road and there were lights and pain. When I finally collected myself I saw the marks of the tire. I was dying but someone saved me. Whoever it was, was definitely an angel." I told her everything and I just got it off my chest. Damon seemed to go into deep thought after hearing my story. He was silent while Elena was in the back seat tearing up a little.

"Thank you." She stated after she cleared her cheeks of the tears. I smiled and the air in the car felt much lighter. It was like a weight being lifted off of my shoulders. I had felt so guilty about everything that had happened and then Elena didn't want to kill me after she heard the truth. I sighed in relief and unconsciously moved my hand to rest on top of Damon's thigh.

Damon turned, looking over at me for a brief moment. There was a hint of a smile that graced his lips. The car pulled into the Mystic Grill parking lot. Phew, it was time to face Uncle John again and to interrogate him about what he was doing back in Mystic Falls. I mean Stefan said he was here to help but we all highly doubted he had the best of intentions. We were close enough I could hear inside and I could smell everything from food to alcohol. My stomach grumbled hungrily and Damon grinned at me knowingly. I could hear Aunt Jenna and the mystery man from earlier talking. We didn't get out of the car just yet since we had seen Uncle John's car in the lot. We were waiting for him to go inside before we confronted him. Mostly because Elena wanted to guarantee he wouldn't be Damon's next victim.

"I can't believe it. Elena is my sister's husband's brother's daughter and her mother is my boyfriend's deceased wife. You can't make this stuff up." Whoa, Aunt Jenna's got a boyfriend. I felt the tug of a smile on my lips. So this must mean mystery man is hiding secrets from her too. I must wonder how many people in Mystic Falls must actually know what's going on.

"It's definitely a little overwhelming." His warm voice agreed. He was attractive and so was his voice. He kind of sounded like a teacher type of person. There was something wise about him and it wasn't his ass.

"I can't believe that they kept it a secret. How is it even possible to keep a secret like that?" Jenna was definitely shocked at the audacity of her sister and her brother-in-law's ability to keep that big of a secret. She really didn't even seem to think it was possible. I saw Uncle John step out of his car and begin to make his way to the grill. He walked inside and we waited another moment before getting out of the car. I got out of the car after Elena and Damon had slipped out. We all smoothed out our clothes and everything, preparing ourselves mentally. Then off we walked to the entrance.

"Hey you two. Do you think I can join you?" Uncle John was speaking to Aunt Jenna and mystery man as we approached the grill.

"Do you have to?" Aunt Jenna snapped back just as we got to the door. Damon headed in first, then Elena, and then me.

"I guess I don't have to but might as well. Look who's here." Uncle John replied and turned the attention at the table on us. Just before Damon could run off and beat the crap out of Uncle John, Elena stopped him by grabbing his upper arm.

"We just need answers. Please don't do anything stupid." Elena pleaded sternly. I cast her a glare and she let go of Damon's arm.

"Your boyfriend is stupid." I stated in Damon's defense. My sister's aura flared up in anger. I grinned at her defensive instincts for Stefan. Poor Stefan couldn't do anything right. I mean come on. He's all pushing for going behind Elena's back to kill Elijah. I wonder what Elena would think if I spilled the beans on that little tad bit of information.

"Yeah but stupid is so much more fun." Damon whined. He wanted to do something stupid. He was a wild personality but he was smart and knew when he had to back off. Elena's stern gaze turned back to Damon. Whelp at least the heat was off of me now.

"Damon, I mean it. All I'm asking is you try to keep it together. Be the better man." Oh really Elena. Being the better man is boring. It's useless and here I thought we were making progress. He gave in to her request however and I frowned. Who could resist those puppy dog doe eyes? Well obviously not any Salvatore boy.

"Okay then." With that we walked over to the table where Aunt Jenna, mystery man, and Uncle John were. I stayed towards the back of the group, not really wanting to face Jenna's wrath since I hadn't officially been over to visit her and Jeremy. I could probably use some bonding time with her.

"John, buddy, how have you been?" Damon greeted with a fake enthusiasm. He really and truly hated Uncle John for trying to kill him. In all truth I hated Uncle John pretty badly too.

"I've been alright, Damon. It's good to see you." Uncle John greeted back. "Willow, I haven't seen you around in a while either." He peeked around Damon and Elena to see me. A frown tugged at my lips and I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Yay, me." I cheered dryly, doing a little fist pump. Damon's face took on a look of amusement while he watched my antics. I stepped up beside him, brushing my hand against his. I figured it would be a good way to show him that I wasn't exactly upset with him about being dragged into this mess. If anything he and Elijah were rewards for taking on this situation.

"Um, if you'll excuse me. . ." Uncle John started but I interrupted before he could finish.

"You're excused."

Jenna flashed a smug look at me and I knew that internally she was cheering me on for brushing off Uncle John like that. He walked away from the table after giving us all a once over. Damon nudged my side gently and I looked up at him questioningly. He gestured his head in the direction of Uncle John which didn't seem to go unnoticed by Aunt Jenna.

"I think she'll stay." Jenna stated finally. I turned to shrug my shoulders at Elena and Damon. I mean I couldn't really do anything. She was kind of the parental figure and I was ninety percent sure she was currently my legal guardian. I stepped towards the table as Damon and Elena left to take care of business. Damon went off to Uncle John who was lighting candles for the dead. Elena wandered off to get a drink.

"So who's this?" I questioned, gesturing to mystery man. I leaned over to Aunt Jenna, getting close to her ear I whispered, "Is he your boyfriend?" She gasped at my insinuation of her and mystery man. If only she knew I had heard their conversation earlier. I pulled back from Aunt Jenna with a smile gracing my lips. Mystery man was looking at us curiously with a brow raised.

"Willow this is Alaric. Alaric this is my niece Willow." She introduced us and a waiter came up to the table before any further conversation could be made. So this was the guy I had heard about. Damon's little side kick. I had to admit that he was pretty damn hot. I really had an older guy fetish going on.

"Can I get you anything?" the waiter asked and my attention was pulled out of my inner thoughts.

"Yea. I could use some fries and a coke." The waiter nodded and wrote on his little notepad. He had apparently taken both Jenna's and Alaric's orders while I had been thinking. I really needed to stop spacing out so much. He walked away and I kept my ear's open to hear some of Damon and John's conversation.

"So John, rumor has it that you know a lot and won't say anything." I saw Damon walking up behind John when I took a look around the bar. Oh this could get interesting.

"So Willow why haven't I seen you around the school?" Alaric questioned and I had to multitask my hearing and concentration. I looked over at him, leaning against the table.

"Well I ran away from home." I stated simply. Jenna shook her head in amusement before giving him a little more detail about my background.

"How do I know you can be trusted, Damon? Originals can compel vampires and according to Stefan, that's why Katherine's still in the tomb, because an original has compelled her to stay there." John replied, blowing off Damon's prying at what exactly he knew that none of us knew.

"She's a great kid and she'll be back in school soon." Jenna finished and I snapped my attention to her.

"I am not going back. I've already surpassed the top ranked student in the senior class. I've skipped more school than any other student in the history of Mystic Falls High School." I stated. My mind was made up and there was no way in hell she would convince me to go back. I had spent way too many years being bullied by everyone and Elena's little group of friends. Things may be a tad bit better now but I was never going back.

"You have to, Willow."

"No I don't. I'm my own parental role now. Technically you aren't even my Aunt. I'm only related to you through marriage. John may be Elena's father but he is not mine. I'm an orphan and that's not going to change." I growled out.

"Only because all of the vervain has left her system. Stefan and I on the other hand are chock full." I looked over to Damon as he said this, trying to calm myself down. I was starting to feel myself lose control over my powers. My aura was whipping around my form. He blew out the match with a smile and I felt myself melt. That was one of the sexiest things I've ever seen in my life. Why did Damon have to make blowing out the wick so attractive? I mean seriously how is that even possible?

"You guys are drinking vervain?" So I'm just going to guess that vampires don't like this vervain stuff. I mean Elijah ripped the necklace from Elena because it had that vervain stuff in it. I think Damon gave it back to her at some point but it wasn't the same night. If I remember correctly he gave it to her when she came over for discussion.

"It's an acquired taste. I don't see that magic little ring on your stitched finger so if you know something about Klaus, you better start talking or I will kill you in your sleep." Mm, Damon was so sexy when he lowered his voice into a threatening tone. I swooned and then suddenly Aunt Jenna was snapping her fingers in front of my face.

"Hey, are you okay?" Alaric asked, giving me a curious look. I shook my head and snapped back to what was going on.

"Yes, I'm fine and I'll be leaving now." I turned on my heel, still not feeling very in control and left the grill. I walked out into the parking lot, remembering to take deep breaths to calm myself down. I kept walking for a little while just breathing. I needed to calm down.

"Yeah, yeah, I'd really like that. I'll just swing by when you're closing?" Caroline suggested. I looked over and saw Caroline and Matt talking. If I was going to get through this I would probably need some girl talk. Hopefully Caroline would be forgiving and just talk to me.

"Sounds good." He agreed, sounding a little happy. I'm just gonna take a wild guess and say that she's probably been avoiding him. This vampire stuff could get a little tough to handle. I wonder how Alaric keeps it all from Aunt Jenna.

"Okay, bye." She turned away after he left and started walking. I ran up to her side as she approached her car.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" I asked meekly. I really didn't expect her to be overjoyed at all by me proposing a talk with her. However, my emotions were becoming too much to handle. I needed a moment to vent and someone to vent to. And, well Caroline didn't look too busy.

"You wanna talk to me?" Caroline questioned, clearly stunned because she stood up from leaning down to open her car door. It was a nice car, I must admit. Her blond brows were furrowed in confusion.

"Yea. Please." I pleaded, giving her a cute pouty face. Damon had a cute pouty face and I figured it might work on Caroline.

"Excuse me." We turned and there was this blond chick standing behind us. She looked a little older but not too old. She also had this smell about her that was similar to the scent of my pack. "Caroline right?" She asked, unsure. Although I got the feeling that she already knew it was Caroline. Something was off about her. I was immediately on edge.

"Yeah."

"I'm looking for Tyler. You haven't seen him, have you?" She inquired, staring the both of us down heatedly. She wasn't giving off any happy vibe either.

"No, not since earlier. Sorry." Caroline answered and turned back to the car. I kept a close eye on the chick. This was definitely not going to end well. I could only pray that she would just leave us alone.

"I know you're lying." She stated after Caroline opened the front seat door. I went to move to the other side of the car but stopped. If anything went down I needed to be close to Caroline. I had Damon's blood still in my system and I needed to stay protected.

"Really? How? Is that one of your little wolf tricks?" Caroline asked sassily, almost closing the door and turning back around to face the chick.

"Actually it is."

"Well, I have a trick too." Caroline turned away closing the door completely, her face becoming the demented look of a vampire. She whipped back around to attack the chick but the chick sprayed her in the face with some mace like substance. I stepped forward, my fangs protruding in warning. Caroline cringed back to the car and I rushed to her side placing my hands on her shoulders. Whatever that stuff was had burned her skin. We turned to face the chick but there was a man with a gun standing there. I winced at the sound of the gunshot and when I opened my eyes Caroline was falling to the ground. I stepped forward to attack him myself but cried out in pain when a bullet pierced the skin of my abdomen. I fell to my knees breathing harshly. He moved forward and before I could stop him, he slammed the gun into the side of my head. Then everything went black.

I groaned as I started to come to. I could smell booze and metal. I also felt very cramped in where ever I was. Everything hurt so much. There was a sharp pain in my stomach which was probably from the wooden bullet I had been shot with. Caroline must've been stuck wherever I was because I heard her gasp for breath as she came back from her death. It was pretty cool that she could die and then come back in a few hours or even a shorter amount of time. I struggled to move and I could feel my body trying to start a healing process but the bullet was stuck inside of me. It kind of sucked that my awesomeness couldn't disintegrate the bullet. Instead it would have to be removed the hard way. It had even splintered which only made things worse. Caroline screamed out a little and I felt bad for her. Whoever that guy was had gotten her in the head. She shifted around in pain beside me and I figured she was trying to pull the bullet out. I peeked open my eyes slowly, blinking and taking in my surroundings. The bullet clinked as it hit the bottom of the cage we were locked in. I saw Caroline look down at me before she went to try and open the cage. She reached and reached but she just couldn't get to the latch. I couldn't see past her but whatever or whoever she saw scared her and she threw herself to the back of the cage. The scent of a wolf hit my senses when she stirred the air with her movements.

"I see you got the bullet out. That was nasty. I got lots of wooden bullets, other toys. It's gonna be a long night, sweet pea." She was crying as she looked at him and he spoke those threatening words. He lifted the gun once more and shot her in the chest. She screamed in pain. I pushed myself up as best I could, holding my hand over my wound. I really shouldn't move. Didn't doctors advise staying still to keep the blood pumping slower or something like that? "You should just sit back and try not to die too soon." He suggested and I growled baring my fangs at him. "Oh, feisty."

"Leave her alone." I spat out, pulling the crying Caroline to me. I guarded her as best I could with my body. He stayed there in the corner of this little room drinking his alcohol and staring us down with hate filled eyes. He didn't even know us and he was just torturing us. I should really just tear his throat out and see how he likes it. Then again I am bleeding out pretty bad. The blood was soaking my fingers and shirt, making its way to the bottom of the cage.

"Right here. Want proof?" The chick from earlier came into what I'm guessing is an RV, because it was way too small to be a permanent residence. She walked in and I instinctively pulled Caroline closer. "He needs proof." The chick stated holding out Caroline's phone. The guy lifted the gun firing a shot into my side and then another into Caroline. We both screamed in pain. It was a blood curdling scream and it ripped through the night. Oh it hurt so damn bad! I struggled to catch my breath and keep my hands pressed against the wounds I was receiving. The chick walked away after getting her proof and left the RV. I gritted my teeth, my jaw clenched tight. I was going to kill him when I get out of this stupid cage.

"You're killing her." Caroline cried as she tried to help with putting pressure on my wounds. I was bleeding pretty bad now and I knew that if I died there was a good chance I would become a vampire. It wasn't that long ago that I had taken in Damon's blood. There was a high chance it was still in my system.

"She shouldn't be defending a vampire then." He retorted. I dug my fangs into my bottom lip to keep myself under control. If I snapped I knew I could very well kill myself and Caroline. I was panting harshly and Caroline now wrapped her arms around me protectively. She ran her hands through my hair comfortingly as she struggled with the pain she felt. She was still crying and I was still in pain almost ten minutes later. "So, how many vampires are there in this town anyway?" He questioned Caroline since she was a vampire herself. She didn't answer even though he had moved forward towards the cage. He had a squirt gun in his hands now. It had a flora scent that I had picked up on a few times in the Salvatore house and Elena's house. It also came from Elena's necklace. This was probably the vervain's scent. Our tormentor lifted the squirt gun and begun to spray it in Caroline's face. Caroline curled in on herself, lifting her hands to her face to try and block the harmful spray. She started to scream in pain again and I held her closer. This was torture. "No?"

"Why are you doing this to me?! To us? Why are you doing this? Why?" Caroline began to kick at the cage. Her desperation for release from this pain and torture showed. My breathing was beginning to become harder to do and I felt so weak. There was a fog and drowsiness settling in me. I groaned weakly against her side. She was moving way too much right now.

"You're a vampire. Why not?" He came forward again with a blow gun. He took a breath before firing the wooden sticks into Caroline's neck. She started shrieking loudly. "I'm sorry, what was that?" he taunted and her attempts to break the cage just got worse. I let myself fall down onto my side. She was shaking me too much and I felt sick. I was kind of dying so it didn't help at all.

"Let me out!" Caroline screeched and I just tried to block out her shrill screams as my mind fogged over. My control was slipping and if I didn't get help soon I would become a monster. The defensive instincts were beginning to course through my veins as the animal inside me fought to keep me alive.

"Excuse me? What was that?"

"Let me out!" She started to just screech and he left. With him gone she started to calm down a little. Caroline came to my aid after she got herself together. Her soft hands pressed down on the wound in my abdomen and I groaned in response. My hands were pressed to the wound that was bleeding out on my side. It was pretty bad and it hurt so much.

"Caroline, I don't think this is going to end well." I gritted out when I felt a shift in the bullet fragments on my insides.

"You're going to be okay, alright? You can't die on me!" She started to panic as I heard her breathing become frantic. She was beginning to cry again and I felt bad. There was nothing I could do. Minutes felt like hours in my condition and it didn't help with Caroline sobbing at my side. She seemed afraid of losing me and I was just trying to listen for help. For Stefan or anyone coming to save us. I mean someone had to be coming to our rescue. What would Elijah do if I ended up dead? I'm pretty sure if either of us doppelgangers die it'll void the deal.

"I know you're out there." I could hear the wolf chick outside the RV but I no longer heard the other guy who had been torturing Caroline and I. There were rustles in the leaves which showed that someone was approaching the RV. Otherwise it seemed as if everything was quiet, too quiet almost.

"Where's Caroline and Willow?" I heard Stefan's voice and thanked the gods. We were going to be saved. Hopefully before I bleed out and die. That would suck a lot. I would hate to die with help just outside of this hell hole. I needed to focus and stay awake. But it was so hard to do when I was losing control against those animal instincts.

"Locked up tight."

"Let her go and I'll release Tyler. It doesn't have to get any messier than it already has. I'm not your enemy, Jules." What did Tyler have to do with this? I mentally thanked Stefan for giving a name to evil wolf bitch. Though I could've kept calling her the evil wolf bitch too. I mean it totally fit her personality.

"It's a little late to be waving the white flag, don't you think?" Jules shot back and I groaned. Really she needed a good slap to the face. I mean come on she had her little buddy torture to helpless girls. I knew for a fact that Stefan would never hurt Tyler. He was too good.

"You need to leave town. No one else has to get hurt."

"I'm not leaving without Tyler." Jules declared. Well then take him and leave. I don't really care at this point. I'm dying over here! Caroline's head popped up. She must have noticed that Stefan was here to save us.

"Tyler is free to make his own decisions as soon as you release Caroline and Willow." He stated. I started to cough violently and I pushed myself up. My muscles were tensing from the loss of blood. My aura flared and whipped around wildly. I felt my fangs protrude at their greatest length which cause a cry to escape my parted lips. Caroline backed up into the corner of the cage in fear. She had never seen me like this. Granted she had seen me lose control before but that happened prior to the time that I had hit the age of transformation.

"My brother the peacemaker. Since Stefan got here before me I'm gonna let him try it his way before I resort to my way, which is a little bloodier. So give us Willow." Damon's voice stopped the transformation momentarily. He brought back the human side of me. My fist clenched while I tried to regain control. Caroline was still backed into the corner both shocked and panicking. She was shaking and I could feel it vibrating the metal of the cage. Please let me out before it's too late.

"Let go of Tyler."

"Give us Willow and Caroline. Without a full moon it's not an even fight and you know it. We will take you." Damon replied cockily. I actually felt a smile tug at my lips at his foolishness. I could scent the other werewolves in the area. The urge to warn them was there and I almost cried out to them, but another wave of coughs washed over me. My eyes clenched shut as my body was racked with the force of the coughing. It hurt to breathe. When I regained a little stability I opened my eyes and my vision had changed. Everything was so clear. I must have begun to shift.

"I'm not so sure about that, tough guy." Jules let out a whistle and I knew that Damon and Stefan were outnumbered. Oh boy. I get to die and well they die too. Yay! Might as well be overjoyed with everything going wrong. My throat was so raw and dry.

"Willow." Caroline called gently from behind me. I turned to face her and she started to come forward. Apparently she had gotten over her fear of me when she saw just how bad I was doing. She held out her wrist as if offering her healing blood to me. My jaw clenched and I backed away. Caroline didn't understand that even if I drank the blood it would only heal me a little, because the bullets were still deeply embedded in me. Plus if I did lose control completely I would end up being more powerful and I could very well rip her pretty head off.

"No." I stated simply and finally. Her little blond brows furrowed while she looked at me with worry filled eyes. I felt another wave of coughs coming up. My body was in bad shape. I couldn't stop the coughing and when it died down I saw blood splattered across the cage floor. The blood even stained my lips a bright red. Deciding to clean myself up a bit I licked away the traces of my own blood around my lips. The metallic taste only fueled the bloodlust of my inner animal.

"Which one of you killed Mason?" Our tormentor questioned.

"Uh, that'd be me." Damon confessed. He was always so overly confident when taking the blame for someone's death. He should work on that. One day it may actually get him killed. Today may actually be that day.

"Boys, make sure that one suffers" Alpha werewolf ordered.

"We can take them." Damon had a vote of confidence. No you can't. Damon may be sexy but I'm sure that isn't going to help him in defeating a whole pack of werewolves. Even without a full moon and a transformation in a pack they were a formidable foe.

"I don't know about that." Stefan was definitely not too confident since they were outnumbered. Caroline and I couldn't do anything to help. This cage was stronger than us and well I was bleeding out all over it. The fight started. I could hear everything and my mind was overwhelmed by it all. My vision tinted red as Tyler came into the RV. My control was fading. Caroline jumped forward to the front of the cage, sticking her arms through the bars and pointing to the latch.

"Tyler, there's a latch on the door and I can't get to it." Caroline explained, getting his attention on her. Tyler hesitated at the sight of me. Caroline was thankful to be looking away from me. "Tyler?" She asked, worried that he wouldn't help. I released a rumbling growl behind her. "Tyler, please! Tyler?" She panicked after turning around to see me in half transition to being a panther. My teeth were all pointed and my ears had grew a little. Sharpened claws had grown from my fingers, scraping against the metal flooring of the cage. Tyler rushed to the cage finally deciding to help before I tore out Caroline's throat. I only had a thin control over myself right now. I heard Stefan groan after the sound of something piercing flesh. He was one less threat, but that didn't help me regain any control. Tyler struggled for a moment but the door finally came open and Caroline started to head out. A gun shot pierced my ears and Damon's blood had polluted the air with its aroma. My control slipped completely. I rushed out of the RV like a bat out of hell. Caroline had ended up pinned to the RV with a gun to her back. Jules had her pinned, but she wasn't my priority at the moment. Tyler stepped out to look at what was going on. He did nothing like a coward. That didn't matter to me though. The werewolf whom tortured Caroline and I was kneeling over Damon about to stake him.

I rushed forward and tackled him to the ground, snapping my teeth into his shoulder. Feral growls escaped my throat as I tore my teeth into the wound. He screamed in agony while I attacked. Suddenly my ears were ringing and I stopped my assault. My hands flew to cover my ears while I fell over onto my side, collapsing from my wounds and whatever sound that was. Every werewolf that was still alive had held their heads, screaming out. I fell silent, no longer able to fight. A witch was in the area. I could sense him for some reason. It was like some kind of radar that just told me he was indeed a witch.

"What's happening?" Caroline asked, confused by everything that was going on. In all truth if it wasn't for that witch casting this spell then I'd be tearing that werewolf up more. I'd make him pay for attacking Damon. And for shooting me.

"What the hell is going on?" Tyler echoed Caroline's question on a different level of words. My vision blurred but I could see Damon start to shift and I saw an approaching man over by the black truck with his hands held up to hold the spell.

"Elijah made a promise to Elena. I'm here to see it's upheld. You need to go. Get out of here. Now." The witch stated. I felt arms come around me, lifting me up and holding me close. I whimpered when a bullet hole was grazed by whoever was carrying me. I tried to keep a level mind and use my senses but everything was so foggy.

"Hey wolfy, you can't die on me yet." Damon's voice made it through the haze I was trapped in. I felt him kneel down and set me on the ground gently. I flashed back to him and Stefan placing down Katherine for a moment. It was strange to see those things of the past. It truly made me wonder why only I saw those things. Before I could think anymore of it I heard the sound of his fangs piercing skin just a moment later his open wound was pressed to my lips. I gasped in shock which only allowed the blood to flow into my parted lips. I started to feel stronger but the bullet fragments were still stuck inside my skin. It all hurt too much.

"Damon, we got to get them out." Stefan declared, worry in his tone. He seemed to be scared of causing me any pain. Very much unlike the Stefan I had met in the flashback. He was kinder and more caring now. I must wonder what changed in him after his transition to bring this Stefan to light. "Willow I need you to hold onto Damon." Stefan directed and I pulled back quickly from suckling at Damon's open wound. My brows furrowed while I looked up at Stefan defiantly.

"No, I won't be able to control my instincts." I stated firmly. I couldn't risk killing Damon or any of them for the matter. I just couldn't. My body would react instinctively to the pain and I would attack. The animal side of me would only detect that there was a threat, whether it was to help me or not. Damon's hands cupped my face, forcing me to look up at him. My eyes had started to water. I didn't know what to do and for the second time in my life I was truly terrified.

"Look at me Willow. It's going to be okay. Now you're going to just hold on to me." At first I thought Damon was going to compel me but I felt no pull to do what he said. When my gaze met his I saw the concern in those icy blue orbs. I wrapped my arms around his mid-section. His arms encircled me, one hand coming up to run his fingers through my hair in a soothing motion. I bit my lip, tears welling up in my eyes as I buried my head in the junction of his neck. I felt him nod and Stefan's hands moved my shirt up so the bullet wounds were visible. My fingers bunched up the fabric of Damon's jacket. The skin was tender around the open wounds. Stefan didn't give any warning as he dug his fingers into the wound, searching for the bullet fragments. I screeched, my cry echoing through the night. My body curled away from the pain but I felt Caroline grip my legs to keep me from moving too much. I started to shift once more and my grip on Damon tightened. His lips placed comforting kisses to my hair.

He started to whisper sweet nothings to me to keep me calm. The sound of his voice actually helped. I felt bad that I was in this weakened state. Damon's chest was probably soaked with my tears. My breaths came out ragged and hitched while Stefan's fingers searched. Finally he must've found something because he pulled his fingers out of me. I peeked out to see the progress. My side was stained with blood but the skin had healed over. A small sigh of relief fell from my lips.

"Ready?" Stefan asked softly. I nodded my head, burying my face back into Damon's neck. His fingers dug into the wound on my stomach and I actually howled in pain. My fangs barred themselves and I snapped them into Damon's neck to channel the agony I was in. I had lost the battle against the inner animal. I kicked away Stefan and Caroline before pinning my prey down. I looked around frantically feeling threatened. I could hear the groans of Caroline and Stefan as they started to get up. Damon was still pinned beneath me. He wasn't moving. He was just watching me carefully. He started to sit up and I instinctively backed away, jaws releasing my hold on his flesh. I flinched when he put out his hand to me. The feeling of his hand running along my cheek soothed me. I leaned into his touch, letting the human side of me come back to light.

"I'm sorry." I apologized softly after I got control of myself. I threw myself back into Damon's arms and just held him. I needed help. I needed to find control again. He shifted me in his arms until he was able to pick me up bridal style.

"Well I got it out." We all looked over to Stefan who was holding a bullet in his bloodied fingers. I let out a small laugh and Caroline joined in with me. After everything that had happened today we needed a laugh. If we didn't laugh than there would be tears and sadness. Which I wasn't going to give up. "Willow are you okay?" Stefan questioned, as he walked closer to Damon and I. A frown graced my lips and I shook my head.

"I'm losing control and I don't have my pack. I couldn't even choose my form earlier when I shifted." I confessed. Each pair of brows other than mine furrowed in concern and deep thought. Damon was the first to snap back to the situation at hand. He started to walk off with me but paused to turn and explain where we were going.

"I'm taking her to Elena's." Stefan and Caroline nodded in acknowledgement before going off to probably take Caroline home. I drifted it off into a light sleep in Damon's arms while he walked us to his Camaro. The rocking motion of his arms just soothed me enough to sleep. I even slept through the headache forming in my head from too much of Damon's blood. I could handle it well in small doses but I had taken quite a bit from him lately. Before I knew it we were at Elena's and Damon was picking me up from my curled position in the backseat of his car. He carried me into the house silently, placing me down on the living room couch. Damon placed a gentle kiss to my forehead, pulling a blanket up over me. I smiled happily at his kind gesture.

"Thank you, Damon." He offered me a genuine smile after my thanks. He leaned forward and I pressed a kiss against his lips confidently. It was short but it seemed to officially fuse our auras' connection to each other. I could feel and sense everything about him at a heightened level. I gazed at him longingly after we pulled apart. His brows furrowed and I feared that I had upset him as I watched him leave the house. After he left I noticed that he had placed my phone and IPod on the arms of the couch. He had found them for me. I curled up into the couch cushions and let myself begin to fall back to sleep. The lights in the house didn't really bother me. I was too focused on the confusion I felt in Damon's aura. Well I needed some sleep. Just as I was finally settling into a deeper sleep I heard Elena come down the stairs. She walked through the living room, not even casting a glance in my direction. I guess she has something on her mind. The sound of the refrigerator door opening clued me in to what she was doing.

She pulled something to drink out when I sensed another presence in the room. Elena gasped in shock, her heart racing in her chest and I almost jumped up to see what was going on but Uncle John's voice stopped me. There was not real extreme threat at the moment. Uncle John may have taken down Damon but I'm pretty sure he cheated.

"I'm sorry about earlier."

"Enough already. I don't want you here and I can't make that anymore clear." Go Elena! Speak your mind girl. I grinned, biting my lip to keep from laughing. She had truly just shot him down.

"I didn't come here to fight with you, Elena." Oh, Uncle John the negotiator. I wonder how exactly this whole new approach to discussions will play out for him. Usually he was more of an offensive player in a discussion with us teens.

"Yeah I know, you're here to protect me. Got it, get in line." Snappy Elena. She was definitely on my good side right now. I mean she wasn't giving up yet on torturing John.

"I thought you might want this. It was you mother's." I heard the clink of metal links on each other. So he plays that card. Give a girl jewelry and be set for life? I think not.

"Isobel?" Yep definitely our mother. I wonder if she's even attractive. I mean she did birth two sexy beast for daughters. Then again we could've just gotten lucky.

"No, your mother, Miranda. I remember her wearing it when she was young. I found it in a box with some things that your dad left me. Here, it's yours now." Hmm, sentimental now are we? The bracelet clinked again as he handed the bracelet over to Elena. Oh something emotional was about to be said because the air filled with a depressive and serious mood. "Miranda and Grayson were your parents, Elena and I know I'm nothing to you. You have no reason to believe me or trust me. I've done so many horrible things but when you lost your parents, I lost my brother, my family. I lost my way. I know that I probably won't ever make things right with you but I'm gonna do everything I can to protect you and protect this family." I almost believed him because of the emotions that rolled off of Elena. She was confused and upset. I could hear the hiccup in her throat as she started to cry. I listened while Uncle John left when I noticed Stefan in the room with me. He cast a look over to me, to make sure I was doing okay.

"Elena." Was all Stefan had to say to get her attention on him. She rushed over to him and he moved forward to meet her. She ran straight into his arms, holding him close and I kind of felt jealous that I was still pretty lonely. My heart strings were being tugged on by a mini Damon and a mini Elijah. I didn't know what to do and I doubted their ability to ever return my feelings that had started to develop. As long as they were my friends I could be happy.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Stefan replied while I shifted myself into a sitting position. They were so cute together and I could feel the love just radiating between them.

"Did you hear that? I don't believe him, Stefan. I just don't. What happened tonight? How's Caroline and Willow?" She was crying and pouring her heart out to Stefan for a moment before she snapped herself to the extreme events of earlier.

"You could just ask me." I stated and she finally noticed me sitting on the couch. She rushed over enveloping me in a bear hug. I grumbled with a pout. Why did she have to be all touchy feely? Especially while I had a mixture of dry and wet blood on me. Yeah, I should probably go and change before Aunt Jenna sees any of this.

"Oh God are you okay?" She questioned, looking me over for any injury. Her eyes widened when she saw the blood stains on my shirt. Yeah, I should probably change into some cleaner clothes.

"I'm fine Elena. Damon and Stefan did plenty to save me." I made sure to give Damon the credit he deserved. He needed the recognition of having humanity. I knew that he and Elena were pretty close, but she did see him as a monster too. To me he was just what he is. He's wild, free, selfish yet selfless, hurting, and yearning. He was so consuming.

"I could use your help." Stefan said and that got our attention on him.

"Why?" I asked, slightly lost. I was pretty sure that Elijah's witch had driven the werewolves out of town. What could he possibly need help with? Elena had finally given me a little leeway in her embrace.

"Caroline could use some girl company." He answered. Elena and I smiled. Stefan had a little blond bestie it seemed. He was really caring. I pulled the blanket from my body and Elena moved to the side as I got up from the couch.

"Where are you going?" She inquired with a raised brow.

"I need a shower and a change of clothes if I'm going to sleep over at Caroline's. Wouldn't want Sherriff Forbes freaking out when she sees I'm covered in blood." I replied, making my way upstairs. I had been sure to grab my phone and IPod before leaving the room. I couldn't have them seeing any messages between Elijah's witch and I. Safely without waking anyone or disturbing anyone I made it into the joined bathroom of Elena and Jeremy's. I stripped out of Damon's ruined shirt and felt bad once more. I really should stop getting his shirts ruined. Too bad I liked his scent way too much to stop stealing his clothes.

I hopped into the shower, making it a quick wash off. I was back out and drying myself off in a solid five minutes. I took a few minutes to comb out my hair which had faded to its natural color. I needed to dye it again. I walked out into Elena's room to find her packing up a bag for the slumber party at Caroline's.

"I called Bonnie and we're picking her up on the way over." Elena informed. I nodded in acknowledgement before heading over to the dresser and searching through my drawer for my clothes. I threw on a simple set of black lingerie and some jean shorty shorts with a long loose hoodie that was a dark purple. Feeling a little more myself I even put in my snake bite piercings. I packed a little bag of extra clothes when I noticed a box of hair dye in my drawer. I had thought of dying my hair a burgundy color just before I ran away. I was always dying my hair to try to make myself more different. I grabbed the box and tossed it into my bag.

"Hey since it's going to be a girls' night, do you think you can dye my hair?" I asked moving over to zip up my bag. She nodded in answer with a smile. After that we headed over to Caroline's, Bonnie and I taking the backseat. I noticed that she kept giving me little side glances. She seemed a little on edge next to me. Maybe she could sense that I was not completely in control. Even after calming down and relaxing I was still struggling internally with control. Stefan's car pulled up to the curb. I chewed my lip, getting out of the car and feeling uncomfortable around Bonnie. Stefan made his way over to the house while the rest of us grabbed our bags from the car. I listened in a little on what was being said at the door.

"What's going on?" Caroline asked, probably not expecting to see Stefan again so soon.

"I was a bit worried about you after everything you went through tonight." Good man Stefan. I grabbed my bag from the middle of the backseat after Bonnie got her stuff out. Well here goes nothing. "Good but just in case, I brought some back up." He replied to whatever she had said previous to us walking up. Elena and Bonnie lead the way and I followed unsurely behind them. Even though Caroline and I had been through the traumas of earlier, I still didn't think any of them really liked me.

"We're gonna slumber in." Elena stepped passed Stefan into the house to stand beside Caroline.

"We haven't done it in ages." Bonnie added while going into hug Caroline. They all joined in a group hug.

"Hi." I greeted awkwardly. The girls laughed and even Caroline laughed through the tears that had begun to stream down her cheeks. She was so happy and overwhelmed. I was kind of happy that Stefan was kind enough to do this for her. Before I could stop them I was being pulled into the group hug. I caught sight of Elena mouthing "I love you" to Stefan. I found it adorable and annoying at the same time. Stefan's presence left the house and we girls went to set up everything for the night. Eventually I found myself with my hair being dyed by Elena.

"So, Willow what exactly are your powers?" Caroline asked while starring down at Bonnie's nails which she was currently painting. Bonnie glanced up at me as Elena paused in her smoothing motions over my hair. Apparently everyone was pretty interested, because even Caroline looked up from her job.

"Well, I can shape shift into different animals. So far I've only shifted into my inner animals. I can cast spells too and use expression. Other than that I don't really know much else." My brows furrowed as I thought of what I was. I didn't really understand what it meant to be a druid. Grams had been there when I blacked out after getting really upset but other than that I had no real memories of anything she tried to teach me about myself. I was in a dark place during those times with her.

"So you're pretty much like Bonnie, just more awesome?" Elena questioned from behind as she resumed mixing the dye into my hair. I smiled and nodded the best I could. Caroline let out a chuckle and then we all started laughing. For some reason me being better than Bonnie was funny.

"My father's side was in the lineage of the only druids who could actually transform. The Wildwalkers. It's kind of like Bonnie's family lineage of the Bennett's. They're the most powerful witches while I'm from the most powerful druids." I elaborated further, looking down at my nails. They were still pretty sharp even though I had shifted back to my human form. I stared down at them remembering what Moose had said.

"The more you shift the closer you get to you animal sides." What exactly did that mean for me? Was I going to completely become an animal if I kept shifting? I chewed my inner cheek and mulled it over for another moment. Maybe it was the reason I was losing control so much lately. I mean before I had stuck to just being a wolf for a while, but maybe the constant shifting back and forth is blurring the lines.

"What's going on between you and Damon? I mean earlier when you went all animal you only went after Brady who was trying to kill Damon. Then afterwards when you were hurt and he..." Caroline inquired and I felt a little nervous. All eyes were now focused on me. I gulped under the pressure.

"Damon and I are just friends. He's my buddy, ya know. He's been one of the only people to really focus on helping me out too." I replied. I didn't know what exactly to say. I didn't know what he would say if put under this kind of pressure.

"Really? Didn't you run away after he slept with Rose?" My eyes widened at Elena's question. She was prying in a bad area. I bit my lip, rolling it between my teeth before looking up at them.

"Damon's just a friend and well Rose was all interfering with our friendship. I just needed to get away for a little while." After that I was finished with my hair being soaked in dye so I headed off for a short shower to rinse it. Once I got out we all settled into our blankets and pillows for the night. I closed my eyes and found myself in Damon's bedroom. What was I dreaming about being in his room? I heard a splash of water.

"I can't believe you called me. I thought I was being way to forward when I had Jenna give you my number." A woman's voice came from the bathroom and I tip-toed over to the entrance. When I peeked around the corner I saw Damon holding a the news lady. He was placing kisses along her shoulder and neck. They were even in the bath together. My heart started racing inside my chest. Not again. Please don't let me lose control. This is a dream right?

"I like a woman who knows what she wants." Damon replied pulling his head back from its ministrations on her skin. His soapy hands were running over her shoulders, down her arms, and even over her chest.

"Thank you, so what do you want mister tall, dark and handsome?" She accepted his compliment and they were so close as she spoke. I knew they could feel each others breath ghosting over their faces. I wanted to wake up. I desperately wanted to wake up but I couldn't move. By now I had dropped down to my knees on Damon's bedroom floor. I clutched my hands over my mouth as a choked cry almost escaped my lips.

"I'm not that tall. I need a distraction." A distraction from what? I wondered through my emotional haze. He kissed her chastely. Oh no, no. I kept repeating in my head that it was just a dream but something kept urging me to believe that it wasn't a dream. Finally they had pulled apart from each other when he leaned back against the edge of the tub. Thank the heavens.

"You can booty call me anytime you want." She returned. I shook my head at her antics. That was the sluttiest thing I've ever heard a woman say in my life. I've known a lot of sluts in my life too. I mean come on my favorite hangout was the bar.

"You see, the thing is, miss sexy reporter girl, I have a problem I need help with. It's really messing with my mind." He reached out of the tub taking a wine glass of blood into his soapy hands. She seemed genuinely interested in what Damon was dealing with. Her playful smile wasn't even attractive. I had a thing for chicks too and I didn't even think she was hot enough to booty call.

"Oh, tell me about it."

"I'm in love with a woman I can never have." My heart dropped at his words. He couldn't be talking about me. I was completely broken down by this confession from him. It's only a dream. Just breathe Willow. Keep control.

"I knew it. I know how to pick them. So why can't you have her? She's with another man I assume?" She took the wine glass away from Damon, not realizing what was in it. She held it though and didn't drink from it.

"Yeah but that's not the point. The point is I'm in love with her and that drives me crazy. I'm not in control. Then there's her sister. She's so perfect. She changes everything. She lets me lose control." That's it subconscious. Keep making him say sweet things about me instead of Elena.

"You don't trust yourself around her?"

"I don't trust myself around anyone, Andie. I'm bad, Andie. I do things. I kill people." Her grin disappeared as fear settled in. He leaned forward when he noticed the fear inside of her eyes. Andie jumped up in fright, but he compelled her easily with those baby blue eyes of his. "Don't be afraid, you're okay." He settled back down after her fears faded. Too bad his enlightening words on how he felt about me weren't very soothing. I was still shaking with my emotional distress. There was a good possibility I would lose control even with his soothing voice. My mind blanked out but I awoke back in Caroline's house. It was a dream. Right? No it wasn't.

The bond between our auras had been torn. It was damaged pretty badly. I got up from my place of rest quietly. I didn't want to wake any of the others. My hands shook as I opened the door to the outside world. It was as if I wasn't in my body anymore. I was dazed while I stumbled out of the house with no control. No one noticed me, but it was probably because they didn't particularly care about me. Tears had begun to stream down my cheeks uncontrollably. They blurred my vision. There was this aching hole in my chest though I didn't know if it was really there or if I was just feeling like it was. My bare feet dragged across the forest floor. I didn't know where I was going and my aura kept shifting. There was a agonizing howl that kept echoing through the night air. It was filled with so much pain. So much hurt at the feeling of rejection. It was the cry of an omega. The lone wolf. Was it me that was making those noises? I wasn't sure but I had a feeling that it was indeed me. There in the back of my mind was an urge to go to Elijah. He would provide some source of comfort, right? He had to. We had a deal. I might not be hurt physically at the moment but I was torn apart on the inside. I found myself in a dark and cold place. A noise echoed through whatever cavern I was in. Was I inside the tomb? Katherine answered that question when my enhanced eyesight caught her in my gaze. She rushed forward, obviously hungry. I didn't even make an effort to stop her when her fangs tore open the flesh of my neck. She must've thought I would fight back, because she had a tight grip on me.

"Why aren't you fighting back?" Katherine was confused as she pulled back. My blood stained her lips. I just stared at her. My mind was pretty much blank. I had no real drive for anything. My pack had abandoned me. Damon was still barking up my sister's tree while calling over news reporters for booty calls. My mirror images brows furrowed before she growled, shoving me against the wall harshly. She gripped my chin, forcing me to look her in the eye. "Tell me."

"I don't want to." I answered robotically. Katherine was compelling me, but I didn't really care about much at this point. I was a lost cause. Klaus could kill me now and I don't think I would mind a bit.

"You're going to be my best friend now and you're going to tell me why you're like this." She ordered, keeping our gazes locked together. She released me from her grip when a noise came from the entrance of the tomb. "Come on lil' Petrova." She urged and I pushed myself off the wall following her obediently. She was still weak even after having some of my blood. I guess my state of blankness had distracted her from her feast. There was a healthier glow about her but she was still desiccating. When we got to the entrance a flash light was shining over the stone walls. Then out stepped Uncle John. I stayed a little ways behind Katherine in the shadows, unsure of whether I should step out to join them or not.

"I know you were expecting someone else." He started.

"I sent Stefan to find Isobel." Katherine returned easily with her hand against the stone wall as she stared down my Uncle John. She didn't seem too happy about Isobel not being here. In all truth she seemed annoyed that the mother of Elena and I wasn't here. Maybe they were friends of some kind.

"She got your message. She was busy so she sent me instead." Uncle John confirmed, trying to ease Katherine's worries. I crept forward a little, coming into the light. John's brow furrowed at the sight of me. I guess I looked pretty bad, considering there was a bleeding bite mark on my neck. On the Brightside my hair was dyed to a much better color than boring doppelganger brown.

"Does Stefan know that you're here right now?" Katherine questioned before John could ask about my presence in the tomb. Uncle John's lips had parted as if he was going to ask a question.

"No. No one does. This is between you, me and Isobel."

"I want out of this tomb, John." She stated walking closer to the entrance. Elijah had her stuck in here. Maybe, I could simply ask him to let her out. Renegotiate our deal. He would do it for me. I needed to help out my best friend after all.

"I'm already on it." He confirmed his actions. He looked as if he was about to leave but he paused. "What is she doing here?" He asked gesturing in my direction. I tilted my head to the side curiously. Why should he care about why I'm here?

"She's my new best friend. Willow decided it would be nice to pay an ancestor a visit and provide a nice meal." So she was still going to eat me. Not that I cared.

"Give her to me." John demanded. I turned heading back to the deeper parts of the tomb. There was no desire to go back to Elena's. Maybe I could rot away in this tomb with Katherine. She seemed like she could use a rot-in-the-tomb buddy.

"I don't think she wants to go with you." Katherine was being a little snarky towards Uncle John. It brought a smile to my face even though I was blanked out. "Willow, come here." She called me and I was back to her side in a moment's notice.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I need you to go home with Uncle John and forget my conversation with him. I'll be expecting a visit from you soon. Now play nice." She put her hands on my shoulders as she compelled me once more. Uncle John released a sigh of relief while he took me under his shoulder, leading me out of the tomb area with him. I didn't speak as I walked beside him. There was no urge to say anything to anyone. Maybe, tomorrow I could go see Katherine and spend the night. We needed some girl time together. Plus I had to tell her everything about what happened. I lost track of everything Uncle John had pushed to get out of me as he drove me back to the Gilbert house. All I could recall was his worried expression and furrowed brow. He seemed to be pretty desperate to find out why I was in the tomb with Katherine. When we got there I entered the house and went straight up to Elena's room to catch some sleep. I took out my snake bites first and cleaned up my neck. The bite wasn't too bad. A girl's got to eat, but it would heal quickly from the druid's power inside me. Before plopping down into bed I took my phone and IPod from my pocket, placing them on the dresser. I had deleted every message before I set the phone to rest on the dresser. No one needed to know about me talking to Elijah.

I let the darkness of sleep take over, not wanting to ever see the light again but knowing that I must, because I had to visit Katherine and tell her everything. No matter how much I was hurting on the inside. Or how much I just wanted to give up. Hopefully it wouldn't require running into Damon.

So yep that was the chapter. I hope you guys liked my interpretation of being compelled. Also, the twist on Katherine making Willow become her best friend. I wonder how that's going to play out. Whelp, leave reviews and if you don't want to do that then you can follow me or talk to me on twitter about your ideas and opinions on the story so far.

/TabbyCatten

Love you all and see you next chapter! Please review though. I promise it'll earn you brownie and cookie points in my heart. :3


	7. Chapter 7

Well guys I did it again. I completed a chapter. I hope for reviews. That would really be incredibly nice. I hope you all enjoy it.

I awoke with a jolt. There had been so much pain and agony in the darkness of my mind. I truly felt the struggle for power between my humanity and the animalistic side of me. There was no doubt about it. I was losing control the more I shifted. This realization came to me in the form of a very realistic nightmare. It started out with flashes of memories with Damon. The things I had felt were intensified when I saw these images in the darkness of my mind. I felt the pain of losing him. Even the vision of him and that news reporter appeared. My heart was racing in my chest as I recalled last night's dreams. I definitely had to talk to Katherine about this later today. The sun rays in Elena's room showed that it wasn't too early to be up. All the stress from yesterday really earned me a nice long hot shower. So I got up, silently walking across the floor of Elena's room to the joint bathroom. From what I could hear no one was up yet or they weren't home. I made sure both entrances to the bathroom were locked tight before I even turned on the shower water. It didn't take long to strip down and settle myself under the warm, spray of the shower. This was peaceful. I was able to just relax. The urge to just stay here under the steady stream was very tempting. It felt like summer rain. I missed long boarding down the streets of Mystic Falls when I needed a moment to think. The rain always fell heavily during those times but the sun shone through the clouds above creating the most magical of sights.

I remember how that was one of my greatest escapes from all of the troubles I faced when visiting Elena and father. My mother was one for the great escape. She worked all the time and left me alone a lot. I turned to sleep and magic during those depressing times. She was a troubled woman. I learned from her mistakes and was never truly able to form relationships of any sort. When I visited Elena I tried to fit in with the family, but it never seemed to work. Father didn't particularly like that I tried to make myself look as different from Elena as I could. I dyed my hair, got lots of piercings, and dressed a lot more rocker style than her. I had my snake bites and my ears were even pierced in multiple places. It had been a while since I had all of my piercings in.

"Willow! Are you in there?" Jeremy's alarmed voice pulled me from my musings. I actually jumped from the shock of his knocking on the door. Whoa, what's the emergency?

"Yes?" I called just loud enough to make sure he heard. I started to run the suds of soap over my skin when I noticed a claw mark across the skin over my sternum. I stared at it in confuse, awaiting Jeremy's reply.

"Yes. She's here. You want her with Alaric today? Okay. Bye." He was on the phone and I could only pick up on his side of the conversation. My brows furrowed in confusion at his words. Why was I supposed to be with Alaric today? I guessed that it was probably for protection. However, I didn't exactly know my Aunt's boyfriend. All I knew is that he was dating her and pretty close to Damon. It must've been hard to hide all of this supernatural stuff from Aunt Jenna. I mean she did kind of have trust issues with men. I finished rinsing off my body and my burgundy hair before stepping out into the cool yet steamy air of the bathroom. Jeremy had gone downstairs while I ran a comb through my damp hair and put in my snake bites. I needed to look a little less Elena-like and be more myself. That inspired my outfit for the day. Even though it was chilly outside I slipped into some shorty shorts and my very own V-neck. I had thankfully washed away Damon's scent with all of my pampering. Before I left the room to join Jeremy downstairs I grabbed a black hoodie and my cell phone. There were many missed calls and texts from Elena, Stefan, Caroline, and even Bonnie. I guess my disappearance last night caused uproar this morning. I ignored the effort they put out to reach me.

After pulling on my ankle socks and some converse I made my way down the stairs to the kitchen. I found Jeremy in there. He seemed lost in thought so I made my presence known by waving my hand in front of his face.

"Hey. You in there?" I called with a tilted head. Jeremy finally came out of his musings which I figured were about Bonnie. He seemed to have a thing for her after all. Or maybe he was mulling over why I would ditch out on Elena and them in the middle of the night?

"Yeah. Why did you leave Elena and the girls last night? They were freaking out thinking Klaus got to you." Jeremy questioned giving me a stern look. It didn't really work considering he was my younger brother. I arched a brow at him and plopped myself up on top of the counter.

"I had to do something, so I left." I answered looking around the kitchen. My stomach rumbled when the thought of food came to mind. Jeremy didn't look convinced but a knock on the door distracted him from any further investigation. He left the room to answer the door and I hopped off of the counter to follow after him. Jeremy opened the door to Alaric. Alaric was wearing some greenish cargo pants, a dull purple shirt, and a black jacket. To be honest he had nice style. That I could not deny. Jenna had scored big time with this boyfriend of hers. For an older guy Alaric was quite attractive. He also had a rough look to him. It was nice.

"Hey Jeremy. Willow." He greeted with a big smile and a nod of his head. Alaric moved to the side gesturing for me to leave the house. My brow furrowed. Did he really think I would actually follow him around all day?

"Why should I go with you?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. Jeremy shook his head and placed his hand on my shoulder blade giving me a shove forward. I gasped in shock at my younger brother's audacity. He seriously just pushed me. Alaric gave Jeremy one last look before leading me out to his car. I climbed into the shotgun position in his car and stared out the window to see Jeremy shutting the door. My stomach released another growl after I scented the area for any trace of my pack. It truly seemed that they had abandoned me. There were only two people I could rely on at this point. Elijah and Katherine were those people. Alaric started the car, but I felt his eyes on me. I rolled my head as I turned it to look at him.

"Coffee and donuts?" He suggested and a smile actually worked its way onto my lips. The car had pulled away from Elena's house after I gave Alaric an approving nod. We were off to the town square of Mystic Falls where there were small cafes scattered around. We pulled in to some random cafe parking lot and Alaric got out to go get the coffee and donuts my stomach was so anxiously awaiting. I kicked off my shoes into the floor board since I didn't want to ruin the fabric of the seats with any of the dirt that might be on my shoes. After I pulled my feet up into a comfy position under me I relaxed into the seat. The nightmare from last night had made it feel like I had gotten next to no sleep. The racing of my heart must of kept me from reaching a true level of rest. I jumped when Alaric's knuckles knocked against the glass of the window. I sat up more and popped open the door for him. He was carrying a coolatta coffee in one hand while a box of donut balls balanced in the other. I accepted the breakfast gratefully from him before he left to walk around and start up the car once more. "I hope that's okay. I didn't exactly get your preferences earlier."

"Yeah. It's fine. Thanks 'Laric." I thanked, but it was muffled a little by the chocolate donut ball I was currently munching on. Those donuts and that coolatta were no match for me. I devoured them with time to spare. Afterwards I placed the trash in the back floor board of his car to keep it out of the way. It was when I turned to look forward once more that I noticed we were heading to Damon's. A furious fie filled my gut. My jaw clenched visibly and I caught sight of Alaric's furrowed brow.

"Are you doing okay with all of this?" He asked in concern. I nodded my head in response. There was a darkness that plagued my aura. It was so dark and terrible that I knew the animalistic side of me was becoming more dominant to protect the frail humanity that had come to fall for Damon.

There was a battle for control raging inside of me. The more I shifted the closer I got to losing my grip on humanity. The thought of Damon and Andie actually made me question whether I wanted my humanity or not. My heart ached so much from the thought of losing Damon to someone else. I had trusted him. He had kissed me and then went and slept with that trashy reporter. It was so frustrating. Then there was Elijah, whom the panther inside me called to. I had come to this realization when I recalled a purring noise inside my head when I was with him. I shook away all of these thoughts as we pulled into the Salvatore driveway. It was slightly annoying that I could hear Damon and Andie from here. There was an inner debate on letting loose my wild side or just blocking them out the best I could. For Alaric's sake I chose the latter. Alaric had seemed to pick up on my inner distress and offered me a warm smile. He was a good man even with his roughed up looks. I smiled back before pulling on my shoes and stepping out of the car. I followed after him to the front porch. My nerves were shot and I kept nervously pulling on the ends of my hoodie's sleeves. I was so not prepared to see Damon again. I truly just wanted Katherine to compel me to forget everything about him. My aura was so deeply wounded by the tear he had left in it when he slept with Andie. There was a lag in my step as I tried to drawl out the process of getting to see Damon. Ugh. Why did I have to get stuck in this situation? My ears picked up on the sound of the front door's lock clicking open. Alaric was just rounding the corner to the front door when the door opened. I paused in my step, staying just around the corner when I saw Alaric pause and turn around awkwardly.

"Have a great day, honey." Damon's voice sent cold daggers into my heart. My control slipped momentarily and I had to fight back the fangs that had grown out of my gums. The feeling that possessed my heart made me want to strangle Damon. It's not like he would truly die anyway. Not only that but he had kissed her. A growl rumbled in the depths of my chest as the anger swelled up. Katherine will make it all better latter tonight. Don't worry. You'll forget all of this heart ache and everything will be just fine. I calmed myself with these thoughts as Andie made her way out of the house.

"Oh. Hey, Alaric. Later." She greeted Alaric happily before promising Damon that she would see him again. I frowned deeply when Damon waved goodbye to her as she drove off. Alaric moved to stand in front of Damon and I came out from my hiding place around the corner.

"My new girlfriend - Andie Star, action news." Damon bragged, being his jackass self. The frown on my lips deepened but it was replaced with a grin when Alaric corrected him. Alaric was definitely on my buddy list when it came to being annoyed with Damon today.

"It's not called action news."

"I know. I just like saying it. Come on." Alaric and I entered after Damon moved to the side. He shut the door behind me but I felt his gaze linger on me as he pasted by to take lead on the course of going into the parlor. "So, John Gilbert gave me this to kill Elijah." Damon stated, going over to a table and pulling a dagger from some type of old clothe. "Said you have to dip the dagger in the remains of an old white ash tree that dates back to the Originals, if there's any truth in that." Well looks like John is making more lies and the Salvatores still have a death-wish for Elijah. Damon walked over to where Alaric had moved to sit down, handing him the dagger for examination. I chewed on my lip, leaning against the fireplace. I kept my ears focused on their conversation but I was finding it hard to look at Damon. There were just too many emotions that ignited in me when I saw those icy blues.

"So you think it's a setup?" Ric inquired curiously.

"It could be. Guy's a weasel. Wouldn't put anything past him." Damon replied as if Alaric was stupid for even asking the question. I bit down on my lip to keep from grinning at Damon's snide answer. He always knew how to be the sarcastic ass. "What are you up to today, Mr. Saltzman?" Damon questioned, walking over to the bar for a drink.

"Well, Jenna and I were supposed to go to her family's lake house, but somehow, we both got roped into doing this historical society thing at the Lockwoods." Alaric answered while making his way over to stand beside Damon. He handed Damon back the dagger somewhere in that process because I caught a side-view of it.

"Where Elijah's the guest of honor."

"Tell me you're not gonna kill him at the tea party." I agreed with Alaric on this demand, because there was no way in hell I was going to let Damon kill Elijah. He had already torn off his ties with me by sleeping with Andie and he was definitely not going to take away Elijah. Elijah was good on his word. He had promised to protect the ones we loved, but not us. I would rather let Elena die and run off into the sunset but that was not the case.

"No. That would be stupid." Damon countered smartly like he had done with Elena the day before. Alaric and I gave him a skeptical look. "I want to know his endgame before I kill him, but I do think it's time Elijah and I officially met." He elaborated tapping Alaric with the dagger. Alaric showed no sign of amusement, just annoyance with Damon's actions.

"So when are we going?" I questioned, pushing off from the fireplace and making my way over to the bar for my very own drink. I earned confused faces from both of them as I poured myself a glass of bourbon and downed it with a straight face. I needed a little alcohol in my system if I was going to be able to deal with Damon and stay in control. At the moment there was an urge to give him the beating he deserved for kissing me and making me feel for him.

"Who said you were going?" Damon countered, turning his blue eyed gaze on me. My jaw clenched but I released a slow breath before I did something stupid.

"Elena and Stefan want her with me today. For safe keeping since she disappeared last night." Alaric answered Damon's question but only added more to the situation at hand.

"I did not disappear. I left Caroline's and went home. That's all that happened." I shot back with a frown. My fangs were growing out from my gums as hostility began to rise inside me. Why did he have to be all informative? Before I could stop him, Damon appeared right in front of me with his hands cupping my face. A snarl escaped my lips when I noticed he was trying to compel the truth out of me. "Don't you dare, Damon. I can and will rip your heart out." I growled menacingly, but he leaned down to capture my gaze with his. I closed my eyes instantly. There was no way in hell he could compel me now. I wouldn't open my eyes and let him know the truth about how hurt I was. It kind of sucked that I was stuck in this situation since I couldn't meet up with Katherine and have her compel me to forget.

"Damon let her go. We have to leave now." Alaric interjected and I mentally thanked him. I could hear his footsteps make their way to the front door, but Damon still had me captured. I felt Damon's breath ghosting across my face before something warm and soft captured my lips. My eyes flew open to see Damon kissing me once more. I released a warning growl, but that didn't stop him at all. He just continued to work his lips against mine, seeking any form of my lips returning the massaging motions of his own. I wasn't going to forgive him so easily this time and to prove it I parted my lips before plunging my sharp fangs into his bottom lip. He grunted, his motions stopping when he pulled back. An devilish smile appeared on my lips at my small victory before I turned on my heel, following Alaric's trail out of the house. I made my way back out and into the fresh air of the outside world. I took the moment to sniff the air for any sign of my pack. No sign of them even being in the area anymore. It brought sadness to my aura. That only added more pressure on me to battle for control over the animalistic side of me.

"Where's Damon?" Alaric questioned when he noticed my presence.

"Right here." Damon answered and I turned to look and see if my bite mark still graced his lips. Sadly it didn't. Stupid vampire healing stuff. I got into the back seat of Damon's classic car and lay down after kicking off my shoes. I might as well catch up on the lost sleep. I closed my eyes and curled in on myself to keep myself warm. Without the distractions of sight I picked up on Damon's aura easier. It had been slightly difficult considering he had severed the bond with mine. I examined it closely. There was a confusion that filled his aura and there was a sign of hurt in it too. I bit my lip in frustration. The fact that I had not returned the kiss was weighing heavily on his mind. I honestly hated him so much in that moment of realization. How could he be upset with me when he slept with Andie? He even kissed her while I was right there. It wounded me deeply. He deserved my form of payback. The panther inside of me purred at my master plan. I came back to the real world when I opened my eyes. Everything that Alaric and Damon were talking about went unnoticed by me in my sleeping state. When I looked up at the mirror I caught Damon's blue orbs staring at me. They were melted and beautiful. I actually almost wanted to climb into his lap and place loving kisses to his lips and neck. It was so tempting when he looked at me with every emotion showing in those icy blue eyes. I sighed and turned away looking at the sight of the Lockwood house. It hadn't changed much over my absence. As soon as the car came to a stop I was up and out. There was no way I could give Damon a chance to get to Elijah first or try to interrogate me.

"Hey. Where are you going?" Damon called but I continued right on into the elegant home of the Lockwoods. I don't remember Mrs. Lockwood ever being particularly fond of me but I spotted her over with Elijah easily. I maneuvered through the groupings of people in the house and finally appeared in there company.

"Hi Mrs. Lockwood." I greeted being as polite as I could. She looked up from her conversation with Elijah and her eyes fell on me. I gave her a sweet smile and she moved to embrace me in a hug. I mentally groaned but returned the hug.

"Oh Willow it's been such a long time since I've seen you in town." She replied faking joy at my return. Mrs. Lockwoods gaze ran over me observantly and I peeked up at Elijah. A genuine smile graced my lips when I noticed he was watching me with a smile of his own. "I see you've finally cleaned up a bit. You don't have your board anymore. Too bad you still have the lip piercings." She commented bitterly. I don't think she ever liked that Tyler was my friend because I was more of the rebellious child when it came to appearance.

"I still board Mrs. Lockwood and I'm only back in town for now. I plan to leave after I finish with some family business." I answered which earned a scowl from the annoying mayor's wife. No one really liked her. Not even the council included her in much of its doings, because she was all about the party and showing off. Too bad none of her parties were ever fun. I had a feeling that this one might be interesting though.

"Oh that's such sad news, but have you met Elijah?" Mrs. Lockwood questioned, bringing the out casted Elijah back into the conversation. I nodded in answer keeping my gaze on Elijah.

"Yes, he was over just the other day when she was helping him out. By the way it's nice to see you Elijah." I said this just as I heard Damon in hearing range.

"It's a pleasure Miss. Petrova." A smirk graced my lips as I picked up a flare in Damon's aura. He was now a jealous man on a mission.

"Have you spent much time in Richmond for your book? There's such a wealth of history there." Mrs. Lockwood cut in giving us a strange look. She was suspicious of our little play before her. I looked around to see if I could spot Damon, but I spotted Elijah a few paces behind me. He was sipping on some tea and it was a funny sight to see.

"No, I'm focusing mostly on the smaller regions of Virginia. Lots of research. Strictly academic." Elijah replied easily and I felt an admiration for him. He was such a smooth liar to Mrs. Lockwood and it was all because of that accent. I made every word he uttered magical and alluring. My panther purred at the thought of escaping this boring tea party with him. I'm sure we could find a better place to fulfill my inner musings.

"That's fascinating."

"Yes, truly amazing Elijah." I tried to keep the grin down, but it tugged at my lips anyway. He knew that I was up to no good when he heard Damon enter the house. I saw my aunt catch sight of him and begin to approach him while he looked around the room searching. The bouquet in the vase behind him was pretty nice. If only they didn't have pink roses in them.

"Damon, what are you doing here?" Aunt Jenna questioned when I saw Damon's new girlfriend step into the scene. A growl rumbled in my chest at the sight. She should be busy taking notes not staring down Damon judging by the notepad and pen in her hand. He looked at her with a smile, ignoring Jenna. My aura flared and I knew Damon had noticed the change in atmosphere by the smugness in his own aura. Elijah had even taken notice of my discomfort with the situation.

"Hi. You came." Andie greeted sweetly making me only more frustrated.

"Hi." Damon returned leaning in for a kiss and I snapped back into focus on Elijah and Carol. I had to breathe and focus on Elijah or the whole town council would see their very first druid.

"So Elijah will I be seeing you again? I could use a history lesson or two. I kind of dropped out of school so I'm a little rusty on my facts." Carol, the mayor's wife, was sipping at her tea uncomfortably.

Why am I referring to her as Carol? Well it's shorter for my brain to process. Screw respect of the elders. I was only baiting Damon away from the reporter. Elijah nodded his head in agreement.

"I would love to enlighten you on historical events. I'll just have to see about it before you make your leave from town." He agreed easily. I knew he actually took a liking to me. There was just something about him that made the air lighter. It was a wonder that Damon and Stefan actually were thinking of ways to kill him.

"Thanks for introducing us, Jenna." Damon said dismissively as he made his way into our room. I frowned when I heard Andie groan approvingly while Damon walked away from her and Jenna.

"Ahhh. Wow." She swooned openly. I bit my lip to keep from running over and snapping her twig of a neck. Calm down Willow. Remember Katherine will compel you to forget all about him. My aura settled out and it intertwined itself with Elijah's warm and comforting aura. It helped to keep me from snapping at Damon.

"Damon." Carol greeted.

"Carol." He replied and my brow furrowed. How did these two even know each other? Although it could happen I didn't expect these two to know each other. She was so old and not so cool at all. Not like Damon was cool anyway, sleeping with the reporter.

"What a surprise."

"Hi." They shook hands and exchanged kisses on the cheek. She walked back a few steps to pull Damon into our little group of conversation. Elijah and I turned our attention on Damon. It was a reluctant notion considering I wasn't very fond of him at the moment. I was never going to be fond of him again after tonight.

"Hi. Elijah, I want you to meet Damon Salvatore. His family is one of Mystic Falls' founding families."

"Mm-hm." Damon confirmed, turning to look at a straight faced Elijah. "Such a pleasure to meet you." Judging by the look on their faces they were sizing each other up. Elijah seemed to feel like Damon was disrespecting him.

"No. Pleasure's mine." Elijah replied. All humor had disappeared from the air as I stood there between them. However, I made sure to stand closer to Elijah just to frustrate Damon. He was going to become a very jealous man just as long as I remembered his sinful kisses. They shook hands before I decided it was time to escape.

I had set out the tension between them and knew it was retreat time. I ended up finally replying to Elena's worried messages.

"I'm completely fine. Where are you and why am I stuck being baby-sat by Alaric?" My screen read before I pressed send. I knew she was out doing something to get away from all of this mess but she should have taken me with her. I could definitely use a getaway right about now. I walked outside and into the yard silently. It was easy to lose people at these parties and I had indeed lost Alaric. I chewed on the metal of my snakebites and took a seat in the grass. Damon had no idea how much I just wanted to forget everything. That kiss he had given me earlier was just one reason I had to get Katherine to compel me. I even considered ditching the tea party just to get it done and over with, but I stopped. It would only cause a lot of worry on Alaric if I just disappeared on his watch. Since I was safe and alone out in the yard I let myself shift my aura to increase the range of my hearing. I had to know what was going on in there. Damon and Elijah were both a little tense from my game. Elijah wasn't necessarily a pawn in getting back at Damon. I truly liked him, but I needed him to play a part in making Damon regret his actions before I forgot. Once I forgot I would dedicate my time to exploring my bond with Elijah. He was a good hearted person and that was what I needed for me. Anyway I finally concentrated on Damon and Elijah. They had moved away from the rest of the party and into some sort of study.

"What can I do for you, Damon?" Elijah inquired after the door was shut behind them. I smiled at the sound of his voice. It was so elegant and respectable even as he talked to Damon. "I was hoping we could have a word." Damon shot back easily. This conversation seemed as if it would be fast paced, because they did go back and forth quickly.

"Where's Elena?"

"Safe with Stefan. They're laying low, you know, bit of a werewolf problem." Why did Damon have to be such an ass. I groaned and decided to lay back in the grass. It was so nice outside with the chill running over me. The sweet weather of fall.

"Oh, yeah, I heard about that."

"I'm sure you did since it was your witch that saved the day." Damon's words and tone were disrespectful. I could feel Elijah's aura flaring up around mine. Well on the Brightside I wasn't the only one in a bad mood because of Damon. He seemed to be getting on everyone's bad side today.

"You are welcome. Though, next time take better care of Willow." Elijah's reply made me smile. He was concerned with my wellbeing. That was definitely the most wonderful thing I had heard all day. My mood increased drastically.

"Which adds to my confusion on exactly why you're here." He was here to lure in Klaus and keep the curse of the sun and moon in check. I knew that much at least. I still wondered what this Klaus character would look like. I mean he was old, but vampires were usually young looking.

"Why don't you just stay focused on keeping Elena and Willow safe and leave the rest to me." Elijah countered. He really could talk all day and it'd never bore me. Damon could to but not anymore. I couldn't think like that about him anymore. Those smoldering blue eyes were killing me on the inside. I needed the warm almond colored eyes of Elijah to comfort me.

"Not good enough." Damon must've done something stupid, because I heard a struggle start. Someone was being choked and I suppose it was Damon. The sound of someone being shoved into the wall followed. I got up when I heard the sound of bones cracking and Damon's groans of pain. It made me smile. He truly did deserved the beating Elijah was delivering.

"You young vampires, so arrogant. How dare you come in here and challenge me?" Elijah spat. His position as alpha of the room was being questioned by Elijah. Granted they weren't wolves but there was still an order of superiority in the vampire race.

"You can't kill me, man. It's not part of the deal."

"Silence." I heard the sound of a pencil being picked up. Oh snap. It pierced Damon's skin and I winced at the sound. He actually yelled out in pain. "I'm an Original. Show a little respect." Oh, sexy. I liked this more intimidating aura Elijah was putting out. It was incredibly attractive. Whelp I was now pretty bored with enjoying the breeze so I left my spot and started to make my way back inside. I spotted Alaric keeping an eye on the door to the study that Tyler and I used to sneak into.

"The moment you cease to be of use to me, you're dead, so you should do what I say. Keep Elena and Willow safe." Elijah left after threatening Damon to stop whatever he was doing and just do as he was told. When Elijah stepped out of the study his gaze found me and it was so heated. I couldn't tell if it was from Damon ruffling his feathers or if it was from pleasing me. He knew very well that I was bent on getting back at Damon for reasons he didn't yet know. He made his way through the indifferent people who were just enjoying the tea party.

"Thank you, Elijah." I said with gratitude in my voice. Elijah deserved a token of my appreciation so I leaned up on my tip toes and placed a chaste kiss to the edge of his jaw line. A satisfaction filled those almond brown orbs as they stared down at me curiously. While performing this small action I noticed Alaric looking over at us with a stern and calculating look. Elijah took my hand into his warm grasp and bowed down to place a kiss on the back of it.

"You're welcome, Miss Petrova." He had a playful grin on his lips while he spoke. I pulled my hand back from his grasp as he stood to his full height. I could hear Damon cleaning himself up after Elijah's damage. Well I should leave before Damon comes to rip my head off for what he just heard.

"I hope to see you soon." I turned on my heel and left the Lockwood mansion with those promising words. My heart was pounding in my chest as I hurried down the driveway. I didn't really mind that I would have to shift to escape to Katherine. I had just reached Damon's car when suddenly I was shoved roughly into it.

"What the hell are you doing?" Damon's voice growled viciously in my ear. I heaved a sigh before pushing myself off the car and in the process knocking him back.

"Whatever the hell I want to!" I hissed when I turned around to face him. He stepped forward and I released a warning growl, snapping my fangs at him. "I hate you." There was venom hanging on every word. The expression on his face showed shock, but those eyes revealed so much more. Damon was hurting on the inside. His aura darkened and he rushed forward pushing me back into the car.

"You're lying." He stated simply, holding me in between him and his classic blue car.

"Hey, let's all take a breath and let this go. We need to get out of here." Alaric's voice pulled us out of the heated moment. Damon unlocked the car, holding me by my upper arm. He shoved me roughly into the back seat of the car. He was fuming. I fought back the urge to snap his neck as he got in and plopped down in the front seat.

"Why were you throwing yourself at him? He's the bad guy." Damon chastised, speeding off after Alaric joined us in the car. I rolled my eyes in annoyance and just turned over on my side in the car. I wasn't going to lose control. I kept repeating over and over in my head. My aura was flared and ready to shift me at any second. The animalistic side of me just wanted to make him hurt.

"Just shut up and drive Damon." I grumbled, closing my eyes. I slept through majority of the ride back to the Salvatore house. I wasn't tired, but I was done with fighting with him. I had said what I felt. If he didn't like it then oh well. He could deal with the consequences of his actions. His confessions of love for Elena were not going to make me feel hurt anymore. Katherine would rid me of my misery tonight. As soon as we arrived back at the house I headed straight for the library. I needed a drink and I needed a quiet place to escape to. Too bad Damon and Alaric followed me. I poured myself a large glass of bourbon, drowning myself in alcohol was my solution to every problem that I couldn't solve at the moment.

Damon and Alaric made their own glasses as I plopped down on the floor, leaning back against one of the chairs around the room. They were silent while getting their drinks and they both plopped down into their own leather chairs.

"Today was a bust." Damon stated in exhaustion. He sank down into his chair, sipping on his drink.

"Yeah. How's the throat?" Alaric questioned from his place in the room. I smiled which earned me a heated glare from Damon. Well then. I will dance on your grave after Elijah murders you. I thought bitterly.

"Sore."

"Yeah. That Elijah's one scary dude, but with nice hair. Hey. You want another one?" Alaric replied getting up with his empty glass. I downed the rest of my glass and lifted it to him but he shook his head in answer. Obviously he didn't want me to be drinking underage. Damon handed him his empty glass before Alaric made his way back to the bar.

"He's gonna be hard to kill." Damon answered, giving me a look. I frowned at him. Why did he have to keep it up? I wish he would just evaporate.

"Yeah. I'd think twice before I'd trust that dagger and some ashes to do the job" He answered back, pouring more alcohol into the crystal glasses. I watched him to get my focus off of Damon. "You're gonna need more info." When that didn't work I turned my attention to the rest of the library. There were so many books and to tell the truth it looked like an old man cave. I mean back in the day the men in the family usually had like a study or library to drink in and talk business.

"I'm out of sources."

"What's up with you and this news chick?" My attention snapped back to Damon. This topic was a taboo in my opinion. I didn't want to hear anything about it but sadly Alaric just had to bring it up.

"Ooh." Alaric handed Damon his glass while heading back to his seat. "She's got spunk, huh?"

"Doesn't have any class though." I muttered under my breath. Alaric didn't catch it but Damon did, because his icy blues turned on me. Maybe he was taking a hint. Maybe he would figure out just why I hated his guts so much.

"Just don't kill her, please."

"No killing her is just fine." I countered Alaric's plead. I just made sure it wasn't loud enough for him to hear. I was feeling very venomous at the moment and it was showing. I got back to my feet and went to the bar.

"If I did, who would report her death?" Damon replied smartly. Alaric's aura showed that he was not amused by Damon's jokes.

"Just don't do it, all right? She's friends with Jenna, and it's bad enough that I'm lying to her about everything else. I hate the lies." I smiled at Alaric's words. My aunt had found a good one. Granted he was lying to her about all things supernatural, but he really cared for her. He was a good man. I poured another drink and gulped it down immediately. I needed the numbness to get through. My inner animals were just aching to get back at Damon.

"Oh, God. I got to go. I got to pick Jenna up." He stood to leave as I turned around. I hated this. Now I was going to be stuck all alone with Damon. Unless of course I went with Alaric. "Don't worry. I'll, uh, show myself out."

"Good luck." Damon offered, getting into a relaxed position with his eyes closed. He looked so peaceful in that moment. Alaric had walked out and I moved to follow him but something stopped me. A vase had shattered in the hallway. Damon's eyes snapped open and he left the library to investigate after motioning for me to stay. I could hear Alaric groan in pain before he fell to the floor with a thump. Quickly I began to let my instincts take over. My fangs protruded from my gums as I readied myself for whatever foe was out there. I scented the werewolves in the house. There was a struggle and I rushed out into the hallway only to be pulled back. Some kind of trap triggered when I had moved to help Damon. A chain collar with metal spikes clamped around my throat. There was a werewolf guy on Damon's back and I noticed the syringe piercing Damon's skin. It released the aroma that the vervain carried. I growled through the pain in my throat as I watched Damon weaken and fall to the ground. My fangs bore at the werewolf while Damon's gaze looked over to me in concern. The spikes were digging deep into the skin of my throat, making me hiss in pain. Oh please stay awake Damon!

"Whew! Damn, you're strong. It took the whole syringe." Well of course it did. Damon had been spiking his drinks with vervain to keep from being compelled. More werewolves walked in after I heard the front door open and I noticed Alaric's dead body lying on the hallway floor. No, this couldn't happen to Jenna! He was such a good guy. Jenna would be heartbroken.

My hands snapped to the collar around my neck. I had to help them. The wolf inside me started to take over as my instincts begun to run through my veins.

"Grab that one. He's dead." The wolf that had taken down Damon ordered, dropping the syringe to the floor. Damon looked up at me as he fought to stay conscious. I turned when I heard more of them entering the house.

"Hi, Damon. Nice to see you again." Jules taunted victoriously with a shotgun slung over her shoulder. Instinct started to run wild. I had to save Damon. I just had to. My claws dug into my skin as I fought to break the chain from my neck. Blood was dripping everywhere from my hands and the puncture wounds in my neck. I growled viciously snapping my teeth at the one standing by Damon.

"Get away from him." The order was dark and rumbled deeply in my chest. I rushed forward to see if I could break myself free that way, but the end result was just more pain.

"Oh, she's a feisty one." He commented walking towards me slowly. I snapped my teeth in warning as he approached. When he reached out to grab me I took a swipe at him with my claws. He caught my wrists in a tight grip before pulling cuffs from his pocket. Shit! I struggled to pull away but I failed. I wasn't as powerful without being in full transformation. Jules came around me with her werewolf friends. She was too chicken to get anything done on her own.

"Funny, you're still alive. I was pretty sure I'd killed you with my wooden bullets. You'll be dead soon anyway." Jules sneered at me as her boys made their way over to lift up Damon. She pulled the chain I was stuck on and I reluctantly followed her into the parlor. They sat up a chair in front of the fireplace where they placed Damon. I was stuck being held by two of the werewolves. It seemed that they were not underestimating me. I spotted Alaric's dead body lying on the carpet. I guess they had moved him while I was focused on Jules. Damon would not like the blood stains that seemed to appear everywhere. He was now being wrapped up in chains to keep him in the chair. I lurched forward to stop them when I saw them placing some kind of strange collar around his neck. Instead of metal spikes it had these miniature wooden stakes. I was jerked back instantly. My heart was racing in my chest. Damon needed to wake up now.

"Damon, get up. You idiot get up!" I yelled out. Granted I was still so very pissed at him but I couldn't let him die. I couldn't die yet either. A yelp left my lips when someone gave a sharp jerk to the chain, tightening the collar around my neck. The metal spikes were like razors. They seemed to slice right through all the tissues in my neck.

"Shut up." Jules snapped at me. She led me and her group out of the parlor for some reason and I fought to get away. The one guy was left with Damon. I guess they didn't want me waking him up too early. My aura flared in anger as I tugged on my restraints. There was no way I could just let them do this. A swift punch to my cheek stopped me though. I winced with a groan, instinctively trying to bring my hands to my face. "Stop it or I'll just kill you now."

I heard Damon groan as he came to. The others heard it too so Jules stopped her search for whatever she was looking for. Her two sidekicks dragged me back into the parlor with them.

"Morning, sunshine. I saw this movie once, some torture porn flick. Anyway, they had this collar device that was really cool, so I just modified it some with some wooden nails, and when I pull..." I could hear the chains rattling that were attached to Damon's neck. Damon groaned in pain when the sound of wood piercing his skin reached my ears. I released a low growl giving a firm pull on my restraints as I tried to get into the parlor room faster. Please, don't die on me yet Damon.

"So I hear you have the moonstone." Jules stated as we entered into the parlor. She was confident that she would get some response from Damon. However, I knew it came from the fact that she was getting to torture him. I felt his eyes on me as I struggled to breathe for a moment. Those metal spikes were pretty pesky. I could only pray that they didn't notice the concern in those blue eyes of his.

"Oh, if you only knew the irony of this moment right now. Let me tell you how this is gonna go. You're gonna torture me, I don't talk, someone loses a heart. Last time, it was your boy Mason." Damon started to laugh even though he was in pain just a second ago. My brows furrowed at him. So he really did kill that guy. Well they sure were getting their payback. After Damon's foolish reply I was pulled forward and forced to kneel in front of Jules. Someone pulled harshly on the chain connecting to my collar making me hiss. She had inched closer to Damon and the sneaky wolf had wrapped the chains around his hands. I was stuck between Jules and Damon. I looked at him with worry in my gaze. He needed to not be stupid right now.

"This time, it'll be you." She looked to the other wolf and he pulled the chain, impaling Damon's bloodied neck.

"Stop it!" I cried out, moving to stop him when I felt the spikes in my own collar dig deeper into my throat. My breath came in short pained pants of air as I tried to calm myself and relax the muscles in my throat. Damon was forced to look away from me but his aura wrapped around me, trying to soothe me. He was experiencing his own pain and torture.

"I could kill her too. If you don't tell me where the moonstone is. What about you little doppelganger? Do you know where it is?" She leaned down cooing in my ear. I bit my lip before slamming my head back into hers. Jules grunted as she backed away but she tightened the collar's hold on my neck.

"Ahhhh!" I screamed hoarsely. It hurt so much that I actually felt tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. Jules let out a laugh at my expense. She was smart enough not to come close to me again but she was now leaning against her shotgun. Damon was still stuck but now he was looking down at me.

"You know what the great thing about buckshot is? It scatters through the body, maximum damage." Jules explained, trying to frighten us. Damon feigned intrigue. She lifted the shotgun up and pointed it at him over my head. This was not going to end well. We were both trapped and Alaric was dead on the floor. How was this going to be explained to Jenna? "Where's the moonstone?" She questioned in annoyance. She was definitely over playing games with us. It was do or die now.

"Get over it, honey. You're never gonna get it."

"You looking for this?" My head swirled around at the smooth sound of Elijah's voice. What the hell was he doing here? I mean thank the heavens but why? He was leaning against the banister across the room, twirling the moonstone in his hand. Everyone's attention was on him now.

He walked down the stairs into the lower part of the room and placed the smooth oval stone on the table before backing away.

"Go ahead. Take it." He challenged. I knew he could very well kill each of the werewolves easily. I watched as one of the werewolves used his wolf speed to rush towards the moonstone, but Elijah, being quicker, plunged his hand into the wolf's chest and ripped out his heart. The wolf fell down onto the couch, dead. The two other wolves rushed at Elijah and Elijah, being the sexy killing machine he is, plunged his arms into their chests and tore out their hearts as well. Jules disappeared in a flash leaving behind only the sneaky wolf that had taken down Damon and dropping the chain to my collar. He had crouched down and pulled his jacket over his face like a coward. Elijah walked over to the wimp and pulled him up from the ground as I watched in amazement. Whoa, he was really hot when he was killing people. I mean seriously hot. "What about you, sweetheart, hmm? You want to take a shot? Yes? No? Yes? Where's the girl?" A grin graced my face as Elijah said this. I personally liked this side of Elijah a lot. He was caring but he could be the ultimate badass if needed.

"I don't know." Damon answered after looking around.

"It doesn't really matter." Elijah replied before punching the wolf in the face. He fell to the floor before Elijah walked over to me. His bloody yet warm hands caressed the skin of my neck while he went to rip off the collar. His warm eyes were full of concern as he looked at me. I mouthed a small "thank you" to him. He broke off the cuffs that had rubbed my wrists raw before standing up to help Damon out. The chains around Damon easily snapped under Elijah's strength. "So you realize this is the third time I've saved your life now?" Elijah questioned as he backed away before taking the moonstone and leaving. Damon shot up from the chair pulling the collar from his neck and kneeled down beside me. His hands cupped my face as he forced me to look at him.

"You okay?" He inquired with concern. I shook my head. My vocal cords had been damaged by the metal spikes. I gently took one of his hands from my face, running my nose over the skin of his wrists affectionately before I plunged my fangs into his skin. I needed his blood more than I wanted it, but along with the healing of my wounds came the healing of the bond. I could hear a gasp escape his lips at my actions. He pulled me to him wrapping me in his arms and nuzzling his face into my neck. "Don't hate me much, do ya?" He teased and I could hear the smile in his voice. It was a relieved kind of tone. His warmth surrounded me. A shocked gasp fell from my busy lips when I felt him licking at the sticky blood that covered my neck. His warm tongue trailed along the sensitive skin. It felt strange and my heart was racing in my chest as I tried to keep my cool. I didn't need my instincts to take over and have me jump his sexy bones. I finished off the blood that was in my mouth before relaxing against him.

"I still hate you a lot." I murmured unconvincingly. I felt his smirk on the tender skin of my neck. He was healing himself with my blood. I guess that vervain stuff did a number on him. A chuckle escaped my lips. It was nerves. The sound was sad. I didn't know how I could tell Jenna that her boyfriend was dead. "What are we going to tell Jenna about Alaric?" I asked after my nervous giggles came to a stop.

"He's fine. He was wearing the Gilbert ring. It brings you back if you die by someone supernatural." He answered, running his hands over my arms in a lulling rhythm. I released a sigh of relief when I heard this information. "He should be around soon."

"We need to clean up." I said getting up and out of his grasp. He grunted as he got up behind me. We made our way into the kitchen. Grabbing a rag and running some water over it, I made my way over to Damon who had stopped by the counter. I leaned up to clean the blood from his neck.

"Wouldn't it be easier for you to lick it off?" Damon taunted his voice sarcastically seductive. I smiled at him ignoring his comment and continuing to clean away the bloody mess. When I was done the rag was stained red. I stepped back placing it back in the sink. I could feel his eyes on me the entire time. Well at least my neck was cleaned up pretty good after his tongue lavished it with attention. Oh I would not forget that for a while. Now that the bond was back I didn't feel the urge for Katherine to compel it all away. I still needed to see her though.

Damon's phone began to ring in his pocket. I brushed myself off and looked up at the ceiling absently. From what I could hear he was talking to Bonnie about the sacrifice and everything. I needed some more bourbon after all of that. I had indeed earned a drink.

"So he planned to kill them all along." Damon had walked back to the parlor to start cleaning up the room, placing the chair back in its original spot in the room. The phone pressed between his I kind of suspected that he didn't want me to hear what was being said. I had followed after him shortly and a smirk graced my lips. He was such a house-wife.

"Yeah. The sacrifice is part of Elijah's plan." I caught that little bit of information when I focused my attention on the phone. Well of course it was. He promised to protect them, not Elena and I.

"Got it loud and clear." Damon hung up the phone, looking over to Alaric's body on the floor. Alaric came back from the dead and seemed pretty disoriented while Damon was picking some of the chains up from the floor. "Finally. You missed all the fun." I helped Alaric get up and into one of the leather chairs that was set around the room. Damon was working on getting up the blood stained rug. I wonder how much he hates that.

"You should call Jenna." I reminded him, before heading past Damon and to the bar for a drink. I set out to glasses on the bar, because I knew Alaric would be leaving soon. He pulled out his phone like I had suggested but he was still pretty groggy.

"Yeah, sorry. I… I… I've just been grading papers." He grimaced, running his hand through his hair when he realized how dumb his lie was. "Honestly, uh... I fell asleep. I'm sorry. Jenna, I'm a jerk." I smiled at the foolishness he showed. Alaric had told her the truth though as Damon carried the rug out of the room. Damn he was strong.

"Sorry. Tomorrow I'm all yours, OK?" He offered after she finished accepting his apology. "All right. Good night, Jenna." Alaric said softly, looking upset. He clicked the phone shut placing it in his lap.

"It could be worse. You could've done worse. Don't sweat it 'Laric." I soothed, making my way out of the parlor and up to Damon's room with the glasses of bourbon. When I got there he was sitting with a new shirt on at the side edge of his bed. I admired the comforter that was placed over the bed. It was a kind of charcoal grey and it had gold too. He was talking to someone on the phone as I handed him the glass of bourbon. I sat myself beside him and leaned against his shoulder while sipping at my bourbon. From what he was saying he was explaining that Elijah had no intention of keeping Elena and I alive.

"It was straight from the witch's mouth. He was gonna go through with the whole sacrifice. You should probably just keep her away a little longer." I realized that he was indeed talking to Stefan. It kind of made me wonder how Elena was handling all of this. I mean she might not have truly paid attention to the terms Elijah's deal.

"Be careful. Try not to get yourself killed." I heard Stefan's muffled voice through the speaker of the phone. I grinned at the irony of that statement. It went from me wanting to rip his head off to many other people wanting to kill him.

"Yeah. It's been a day for that." Damon replied before hanging up on his brother. What no "goodbye"? He truly sounded exhausted. Damon placed his phone and glass on the nightstand and lay back with a deep sigh. I got an idea in my mind and needed to see where I could go with it. I rolled over onto him and grinned devilishly. He cocked a brow at me, staring me down with those alluring blue eyes. He was clearly frustrated with everything that was going on and so I decided he needed to loosen up. I believe I could help him with that. I ran my fingers over his chest while my legs straddled his waist to the bed. His hands still rested comfortably behind his head as I stared down at him mulling over exactly what I could do to him in this position. The look in my eyes seemed to ignite something with in him, because he quickly used his vampire strength and speed to pin me beneath him. His hand was at my throat, his hips settled in-between my legs. A slight fear filled me. What was he going to do? The look in his eyes was so confusing. Before I could realize his intentions his lips crashed against mine. His lips were warm and demanding as they moved over mine. I parted my lips for him with a soft moan when his tongue swiped across my bottom lip begging for entrance. A smile graced his lips and it was truly contagious. I gently ran my hands over his sides, grabbing at the fabric of his shirt, wanting so badly to rid him of it.

Whoa this was escalating quickly. The hand that was pressed over my neck began to move down over my skin, joining his other hand at the hem of my hoodie. He shifted me so I was sitting me up against him while working the hoodie and tank top off of my body leaving me in my bra and shorts. As soon as the hoodie came of we were kissing, but now it was more harsh and needy. It was a battle of tongues and teeth, both of us trying to get the upper hand. He had an advantage, because those sweet, sinful lips were much more experienced. I lost the battle of dominance when his tongue explored the cavern of my mouth while mine moved submissively against his. I had definitely lost when I pulled back for air, breathing heavily to catch my breath. Damn he was hard to beat. I needed to catch him off guard to gain the advantage. My hands began to wander up his shirt, feeling the contours of his abs. He was so perfect and warm. And I declared internally that if I was shirtless than his shirt had to go too. A groan escaped his lips when I moved my hands back down his stomach and dug my nails into the skin of his hips. I couldn't help it, he was nibbling all seductively on my neck. I briefly wondered if we should even be doing this. Then I thought what the hell, who cares?

"Willow." He breathed out; trailing open mouthed kisses back up my neck and over my jaw until our lips met in a fierce battle of dominance once more. The animalistic side of me was coming out from all of this intensity. This time I had to win. I sucked his bottom between my teeth, gently pressing the tips of my fangs into the soft skin. He pulled back attacking my neck with harsher, open-mouthed kisses that led lower to the valley of my breast. My hands gripped at his shoulders and the hair when he sank his fangs into the soft cleavage that was left uncovered over my heart. I gasped arching up into his with my hips. Wow, that was not expected.

"Damon...Damon." I panted underneath his touch. His hands slipped underneath me working their way up my spine until they met the clasps on the back of my bra. He unclasp it and pulled it from my body leaving me as exposed as I had been the morning I awoke in his bed in only a sheet. My hands moved back down to pull at the hemp of his shirt. I struggled to concentrate on getting the shirt off of him when I felt him sucking and licking soothingly at his mark on my chest. Feed up with waiting I channeled my inner strength and rolled us back over so I was on top. "Shirt off now." I commanded and he smiled at my confidence, but complied easily. I waited impatiently for that shirt to come off before I attacked his neck and chest with kisses and nips. It was a battle between Damon and I continuously for dominance and the loss of clothes after that. My shorts disappeared to some random spot on the floor along with my bra and panties. The last of his clothes followed soon after. We were both panting, bare to each other's eyes. We gave each other a once-over, sizing each other up and contemplating just how much we wanted this. I wanted it. He wanted it and so it happened. Damon buried himself inside me and mixture of pain and pleasure ran up my spine. Curse not having many boyfriends under my belt, but on the Brightside I was giving him something that was considered special to most. He surprisingly whispered sweet nothings in my ear when he noticed the slight pain I was experiencing.

He nuzzled my neck, biting down with those fangs of his, as his hips flexed against mine. Damon was marking me with those love bites of his, causing small gasps of appreciation to escape my parted lips. I started to wonder if it was to make sure Elijah knew that I was his. Oh god. I moaned pathetically when Damon hit that spot deep inside me. My walls clenched around him. It felt amazing when he pressed back into that spot after slowly pulling back out. He was panting just as much as I was while my name left his lips between each kiss, each nip of his fangs he pressed to my skin. There was a collection of finely carved claw marks trailing over his chest, back, and shoulders. The metallic aroma of blood filling the air in the room. Thank the heavens that Stefan wasn't here. Who knows what he would do? What Elena would do is the better question. Anyways, I was desperate to find something to hold on to and channel the pressure that was growing between my thighs. It was so good.

"Damon please." I pulled his face up to press a longing kiss against his lips. He returned the kiss with a passion while his thrusts only grew faster and harder with my urges. There was a feeling that compared to a tightened spring being set free that erupted in the pit of my belly. A moan similar to that of a wolf's howl escaped my throat. My body was so sensitive and it tingled all over. Every touch of over sweaty bodies grinding against each other after that was intensified tenfold. I didn't know if I could take anymore when I felt him find his release inside my core with a groan of my name. Oh my. Damon collapsed onto me, still buried deeply inside of me. I kept my arms wrapped around him in a loving gesture while his head rest on the rise and fall of my abdomen. We both lay there, basking in the afterglow of what we had just done. Just breathing and holding each other. Our naked bodies were slicked over with sweat and the air was cool against our skin. He was so silent as he lay there, but he moved his head higher on my torso, listening intently. At first I was confused but then I came to the conclusion that he was listening to the sound of my heart beating. I truly wondered what it would be like to just lay with him and listen to his heartbeat with my head upon his chest. After a few minutes Damon pushed himself up onto his elbows and captured my gaze. My brows furrowed at him.

"Willow..." he started, but I stopped him with a finger to his lips.

"I don't regret it and yes I know you're still going to be with Andie and in love with Elena, but I don't care. We have something and one day it'll be right for us." I stated knowing full well that he was worried about what this meant for us. A smile tugged at those lips after he contemplated what I had said. He leaned forward to place a soft and loving kiss to my lips, which actually caused him to grind inside me.

"Thank you for accepting me Willow. You have no idea how much you mean to me." He whispered against my lips. I grinned tugging on his lip with my teeth. My heart fluttered with satisfaction in my chest. Well it was either time to sleep or go for round two and with him shifting against me there was a good chance round two was in the future.

"You're welcome Damon. Now either pull out or I'm going to jump your bones for round two." I suggested confidently to which he chuckled. His lips captured mine and his arms pulled me tighter against him. When he pulled back he had the most devilish grin on those sinful lips and a playful glint in those beautiful blue eyes.

"Ding. Ding. Ding." I laughed at his reply and pressed another passionate kiss to his lip using my arms to pull him down closer to me. He was perfect and he knew it. This time we were all the more playful with our nips and kisses on each others skin. All I knew was that the sheets were a mess, I was happy, and Damon was going to guarantee I was limping tomorrow. Our worries faded into the back of our minds while our bodies intertwined with each other for the rest of the night.

Well there's a sex scene for you. I tried not to make it too graphic since I'm not really into slutty type sex scenes. Anyway review and I'll start working on the next chapter for you all. :)


	8. Author's note

**Guys I edited up to chapter 4. However, I have some slightly bad news. My dad and his girlfriend broke up. We live with her. Right now I'm helping to find a new place to move in to. So don't expect a new chapter too soon. I did go back and change some pretty big scenes in chap 1. Go back and reread to see the changes I made if you want. Um, leave reviews too. I've decided that if I'm going to continue this story there has to be at least 3 reviews per chapter. I need a steady drive to write this with the situation I'm in right now. Thanks for all the support so far. Hope you guys don't hate me too much for not continuing at the moment. I'm just really stressed out. Cya soon hopefully if I get some more reviews or the situation changes. Oh and since Teen Wolf is back on for the 3rd season I'm going to probably start a fanfic on that. It's more current with tv and everything and I don't have to watch old episodes to write for it. So let me know what you guys think of that if any of you are Teen Wolf fans.  
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